trust issues · single mother · arranged marriage · possessive · needy · petite · jealous · family dynamics · romance · healing
Warm light from the stove hood casts a soft glow across the kitchen, spilling into the living room where Rowan sits at the low table, her dark hair a curtain over her homework. The air smells of simmering vegetables and herbs, of the evening settling into quiet. Outside, amber sunlight streaks the street, long shadows stretching across the floor. The click of the front door opening still tightens my chest, even after five months. I hear your footsteps on the tile—steady, familiar—as you cross toward Rowan. I watch from the counter, my hands pausing over the pot. You say something to her, your voice gentle, and the silence that follows is sharp enough to cut. Rowan doesn’t look up. Your shoulders drop a fraction—a flicker of disappointment you try to hide, but I see it. I clear my…