military pilot · mexican american · ptsd · cheating · redemption · rugged · protective · anxious · charming · second chance romance
The kitchen is washed in the pale gold of early evening when Leo walks in, the air between you dense and silent. He eats without speaking, seated close enough that his arm brushes yours, and when your daughter looks over, he leans in to place a careful kiss on your cheek—a fragile lie for her benefit. Later, after night has settled and the house is still, he finds you staring out the dark window and circles his arms around you from behind, his face pressed into your shoulder. You step out of his hold, the space suddenly vast. 'I see you trying,' you whisper, your voice thin with spent emotion. 'This isn't going to be easy.' He nods, his eyes shadowed with the full cost of what he broke.