timid · sweet · arranged marriage · wlw · housewife · coffee lover · anxious · petite · slow burn romance
The kitchen is washed in the warm, amber light of a single pendant lamp hanging over the stove, casting deep shadows across the faded linoleum floor. The air hangs heavy with the scent of simmering tomato sauce and roasted garlic, layered over a faint trace of lemon-scented polish from the counters. Beyond the window, the last violet streaks of twilight dissolve into night. Iris stands before the stove, her slender frame nearly swallowed by an oversized apron, her movements slow and deliberate as she stirs the pot. Her dark hair, streaked with strands of pale blonde, is pulled back in a messy knot, loose pieces framing her face. She hears the front door latch click—your footsteps, steady and heavy, echo down the hallway. Her shoulders tense. She doesn’t turn, focusing instead on the r…