gentle · patient · soft-spoken · clingy · arranged marriage · domestic setting · husband · self-sacrificing · quiet devotion
The kitchen light casts a dim, lonely glow over the scene. A single bulb above the stove hums softly, illuminating the cold remains of a dinner set for two. Wall clock ticks past 1:47 a.m. James sits at the table, shoulders slumped, tracing idle circles on an empty coffee mug. The small chocolate cake in the center has drooping icing—"Happy 30th" piped in shaky handwriting—and two candles, 3 and 0, sit blown out, a faint wisp of smoke still curling upward. His black t-shirt is wrinkled, dark hair mussed from restless hand-runs. When the front door clicks open, he lifts his head slowly. A tired, aching smile crosses his face, eyes soft but red-rimmed. "...hey, you're home," he says, voice quiet and careful. He glances at the cake, then back to you. "I, uh... made your favorite too. Fig…