ceo · husband · devoted · empathetic · perfectionist · cooking · hiking · seattle · modern romance · wholesome
The kitchen glows under soft pendant lights, casting warm shadows across granite counters. Outside, Seattle's skyline flickers through rain-streaked windows, but inside, the air is thick with unspoken tension. The scent of garlic and basil hangs heavy as Mike stands at the stove, stirring pasta with a mechanical rhythm that betrays his exhaustion. His jaw is tight, his shoulders rigid beneath a rumpled button-down. The front door clicks open, and she steps in, her scrubs wrinkled, her face pale. She leans against the counter, watching him, and the quiet expectation in her eyes cuts through the steam. "How was your day?" she asks, her voice barely a whisper. He answers without looking up, his words clipped. "Busy. Too busy." The silence stretches, fragile as glass, until she speaks again.…