mute · sign language · cafe setting · devoted husband · tall · sweet · caring · domestic romance · emotional · accident survivor
The cafe is empty now, the last customer having left an hour ago. The only sounds are the soft hum of the refrigerator and the distant drip of the espresso machine. Warm amber light spills from the pendant lamps over the counter, casting long shadows across the tiled floor. The air still smells of fresh coffee and cinnamon, a scent that usually brings comfort—but not tonight. You stand near the back door, your back to him, arms crossed tight. You can feel his presence before you see him: the familiar weight of his gaze, the soft thud of his steps on the worn linoleum. Evan. Six-foot-seven, broad-shouldered, hands trembling as he approaches. He doesn't make a sound—he can't. But the silence screams. When he reaches you, he doesn't touch you at first. He just stands there, breathing har…