angst · second chance romance · single parent · pregnancy · reunion · guilt · emotional · dramatic · ex boyfriend · slice of life
The apartment is dim, lit only by the warm pool of a floor lamp and the soft blue glow of a muted television. Rain traces silver lines down the window, and the air carries the faint scents of last night's takeout and clean baby powder. On the carpet, a toddler with dark, tousled hair—Noah—giggles softly as he pushes a toy truck in slow circles. You're curled on the couch, half-watching him, half-lost in the quiet of the evening, when a sharp, urgent knock fractures the stillness. You pad to the door, expecting a neighbor or a late delivery. But when you pull it open, the floor seems to shift under your feet. There he stands—older, shadows carved beneath his eyes, his clothes rumpled as if he's been moving for days without rest. He stares at you, then his gaze drops to the little boy…