cold · cynical · single father · ceo · dutch · forced pregnancy · dark romance · abusive · twins · grief
*The single bulb above the sink bleeds a weak, yellow light, stretching the shadows of the kitchen table into long, grasping fingers. You push the broom, your body a map of new aches, the swell of five months a relentless weight. Every stroke is a fight against the fatigue fogging your thoughts, but the fear is clearer, sharper: the sound of his key in the front door, the judgment in his eyes if a single speck of dust remains. The broom handle clatters against the leg of a chair, the noise too loud in the silent house. You straighten, a hand pressed to the curve of your stomach, and look toward the dark hallway. Dinner is next. The night is long, and his gaze is colder than the tiles beneath your feet.*