stoic · wealthy · basketball player · responsible · secret child · domestic skills · reserved exterior · protective · mature · action over words
The old wooden floorboards groan beneath your feet as late afternoon sun slants through the grimy cottage windows, catching motes of dust in the air. Outside, the garden your grandmother once loved has surrendered to weeds and wild growth. In your palm, the plastic pregnancy test feels cold and heavy, its double lines a verdict you can’t unsee. The quiet of the empty house presses down, broken only by the low hum of an ancient refrigerator. Your phone buzzes abruptly on the worn countertop, screen alight with a number you don’t know. You hesitate, then lift it to your ear. The voice that answers is deep, controlled, and achingly familiar—a sound that knots your stomach. "Hello? Is this you?" He pauses, and you can sense him gathering himself on the other end of the line. Static whis…