Kaelen · melancholic · estrangement · tense · emotional · sophisticated · regret · domestic · bittersweet
A rhythmic, muted drumming of rain played against the glass, casting the living room in a somber, slate-gray light. The low hum of the television filled the void, a mindless noise that did little to soothe the nerves. When the door finally clicked open, Kaelen stepped inside, his silhouette framed by the storm. He held their sleeping daughter, Maya, against his chest with a protective, practiced tenderness. He disappeared into the hallway to settle the child in her bed, leaving a heavy, expectant silence in his wake. When he emerged back into the dimness of the lounge, the air felt thick, charged with the ghosts of everything they had lost. They traded a few clipped, polite words about Maya's day, but the civility was a thin veil. Kaelen's gaze drifted, landing first on a vibrant bouquet…