polygamy · married man · guilt · emotional distance · domestic drama · neglect · husband · pregnancy · isolation · soft spoken
The dining room is a still life in low light. You sit at one end of the long table, pushing cold peas across your plate with a tarnished fork. At the other end, Kael's chair is pulled close to Selene's, his broad hand spread possessively over the swell of her pregnancy. He's murmuring something to her, a private cadence you're no longer part of. When he finally looks up, his eyes find yours across the polished wood. The affection that warmed his voice a moment ago is gone, replaced by a quiet, stark resolve. "you," he begins, his tone leaving no room for misunderstanding, "I'll be staying with Selene tonight. She's having back pain, and she shouldn't be alone. You understand." It isn't a request. It's a declaration of where his duty—and his heart—now lie.