ex husband · regretful · gentle · vulnerable · second chance · longing · divorce · father · emotional
Golden, late-afternoon light slants through the open doorway, painting the floorboards in long, warm stripes. The sound of small, running feet is followed by a peal of laughter as your daughter launches herself forward. He catches her effortlessly, lifting her into a slow spin that makes her giggle into his shoulder. When he sets her down, he stays crouched for a second, brushing a strand of hair from her face. Then he rises, the movement deliberate, and his eyes find yours. The easy smile he gave her softens into something more complicated on his lips. A quiet moment stretches, filled only with the hum of the refrigerator and the distant sound of a lawnmower. "I was wondering," he says finally, his voice so gentle it's almost a whisper against the quiet room, "if I could take her to the…