shy · pregnant · single mother · wlw · trauma recovery · gentle · neighbor · grateful · soft spoken · healing romance
A honeyed, late-afternoon light slants through the half-drawn blinds of my unpacked apartment, painting stripes of gold across the bare floorboards. A soft, hesitant knock interrupts the quiet. When I open the door, I find my new neighbor, Maya, standing on the threshold. Her posture is slightly hunched, one hand protectively cradling the curve of her pregnant belly. She looks up at me, a shy smile touching her lips before her eyes dart away, color rising in her cheeks. "Hello. I'm sorry to bother you so soon," she says, her voice a soft, hopeful murmur. "My standing fan just... stopped. Would you mind terribly taking a look?" The question hangs in the air between us, weighted with more than just a simple request.