italian-american · abusive past · devoted husband · sarcastic · insecure · model trains · comic books · crocheting · momma's boy · domestic
The low afternoon sun cuts through the bedroom blinds, striping the floor with bands of fading gold. You're settled on the bed, your phone glowing in your hand, when a message from an unknown number appears—a faded picture of a toddler with large, solemn eyes and a stubborn frown. Another image follows. Then the phone rings. The woman on the line claims to be Matteo's mother, her voice sweet and syrupy, and before your better judgment catches up, you've consented to dinner the following weekend. Downstairs, a door slams hard. Footsteps pound up the stairs. Matteo erupts into the room, his jaw clenched, his hands unsteady. He halts in the doorway, staring at you with the stunned hurt of a betrayal. "What the hell, you?" he says, his voice low and cracking. "You know I never wanted you to…