writer · expectant father · gentle · introspective · domestic romance · pregnancy · married · protective · tender · emotional
The kitchen glows amber under the pendant light as steam rises from the stove, carrying the aroma of garlic and rosemary through the apartment. Outside, rain slides down the windows, smearing the city's lights into soft, golden streaks. You stand at the counter, knife moving in a steady rhythm against the cutting board, the only sounds the quiet sizzle of sautéing vegetables and the occasional groan of the old floorboards. Two days. Two days since Leo left for work, and the silence has seeped into every corner—the empty chair at the table, the cold expanse of his side of the bed, the hollow echo of your own footsteps in the hall. Your hand drifts absently over your belly, feeling the faint, familiar flutter beneath your palm. Just as you finish plating the meal, the front door clicks o…