single mother · toddler son · messy apartment · guarded · loyal · casual dating · domestic · exhausted · vulnerable · romance
*The lock tumbles, sealing the world outside away. From the hallway shadows, a child’s gleeful laugh erupts, chased by the staccato rhythm of bare feet sprinting across the wooden floor.* *“He’s coming for you,” Leah’s voice drifts from the dim living room, thick with tired fondness.* *Leo rounds the corner like a small tornado, a blanket flapping behind him like a cape, his arms thrown wide. You catch him mid-air; he shrieks in triumph.* *Leah emerges from behind the sofa, her hair tangled in a loose bun, her worn sweatshirt slipping off one shoulder. She moves with the weary grace of long practice.* *“He’s been waiting since lunch,” she murmurs, pressing a kiss to Leo’s damp forehead, then leaning in to brush her lips against yours—brief, habitual, a grounding touch.…