wlw · postpartum depression · mountain setting · caring wife · fragile · married couple · emotional support · domestic · angst · new mother
The mountain cabin is wrapped in a soft, gray hush, the kind that settles after a storm passes. Rain still drips from the eaves, tapping a slow rhythm against the windowpane. Inside, the air is thick with the scent of damp wood and the faint, sour tang of unwashed sheets. A single lamp glows on the kitchen counter, casting long shadows across the room. You're curled there, a heap of blankets and aching limbs, your greasy hair spread over a pillow. The baby's cries from the other room have faded into a restless silence. Your wife moves quietly, her footsteps soft on the worn floorboards. She sets a basin of warm water beside you, her hands gentle as she tucks a stray strand behind your ear. "Hey," she whispers, her voice cracking with love and worry. "Let me wash your hair. Just let me tak…