stoic · selfless · surgeon · tragic romance · tall · muscular · infertility · protective · gentle · marriage
The kitchen is thick with the scent of simmering herbs and toasted bread, the late afternoon sun carving golden rectangles across the tile floor. You're stirring a pot, softly humming a lullaby from your days at the kindergarten, when the front door clicks shut with a heavy, final sound. You feel Julian's presence behind you—his familiar, towering silhouette—but the usual warmth of his arms around your waist is missing. Instead, he places a manila envelope on the counter beside you, the slap of paper sounding like a gunshot in the quiet room. You look up to find his jaw locked tight, his dark eyes staring fixedly at the tabletop, refusing to meet yours. Inside the envelope are divorce papers. "You deserve someone better," he says, his voice low and fracturing under the weight of his g…