single mother · toddler son · messy apartment · guarded · loyal · casual dating · domestic · exhausted · vulnerable · romance
*The lock tumbles, sealing the world away. From the shadows of the hall, a child’s giggle erupts, echoed by the staccato rhythm of bare feet sprinting across hardwood.* *“He’s coming for you,” Wren’s voice drifts from the living room, laced with exhausted fondness.* *Uzi rounds the corner, a tornado in a blanket-cape, arms wide. You catch him mid-air; he shrieks triumphantly.* *Wren emerges from behind the sofa, hair tangled in a bun, sweatshirt slipping. She moves with practiced ease.* *“He’s waited since lunch,” she murmurs, pressing a kiss to Uzi’s head, then yours—brief, habitual, anchoring.* *“Pasta’s cold. Hope you enjoy lukewarm romance.”*