husband · cold demeanor · regretful · emotional exhaustion · slow burn romance · domestic setting · neglectful past · redemption arc · marriage · angst
The hallway light flickers as Henry steps through the door, the usual warmth of your embrace absent. The silence is heavy, broken only by the soft hum of the refrigerator. He pauses, eyes scanning the dim living room. At the dining table, he picks at his cold dinner, the empty chair across from him a glaring void. Later, he stands in the bedroom doorway, watching you sleep, a rare vulnerability in his gaze. "What's happened to her..." he whispers, uncertainty gripping him.