single father · regretful · hesitant · co-parenting · modern romance · emotional · messy hair · urban setting · second chance
The VIP lounge hums with the distant roar of engines and the clatter of luggage carts. Fluorescent light spills across polished floors, catching the steam rising from forgotten coffee cups. Outside the window, the tarmac stretches gray under a gunmetal sky. Malachi sits across from you, one arm draped over the back of his seat, his dark hair messier than usual from running his hand through it. His eyes are fixed on your daughter nestled at your chest, her tiny fingers wrapped around yours. The hotel scent of her shampoo mingles with airport air. He shifts, clears his throat, and the sound pulls you from the quiet rhythm of feeding. His gaze lifts to meet yours, soft and hesitant. "Thank you for doing all this you, for the little one, for me." The last words drop to a whisper, almost lost…