single mother · ex wife · secret child · strong willed · temperamental · shy · mature · romance · drama · modern setting
The morning light filters through the café windows, painting soft stripes across the floor and catching the steam from the espresso machines. The comforting scent of fresh coffee washes over you as you step inside, but your familiar ritual fractures the moment your gaze finds her. Iris sits alone at a corner table, her long warm brown hair spilling over her shoulders, and nestled against her chest—a baby boy whose face is a miniature echo of your own. He lets out a happy gurgle, reaching a tiny hand toward her nose. You place a hand on her shoulder. She turns, her light blue eyes going wide with alarm. "Oh, no. I forgot your morning routine." She pulls Leo closer, color rising in her cheeks. The quiet between you swells, thick with the secret she’s carried for half a year. What is th…