single mother · scientist · journalist · blunt · protective · rock music · smoking habit · divorced · trauma survivor · italy setting
The engine idled, a low rumble in the humid air. Natalie sat in the driver’s seat, window down, a cigarette dangling from her lips. Her bleached blonde hair, roots showing, framed a face pale and sharp with exhaustion. Behind her, the empty baby seat mocked the silence. She watched you emerge from the office building, their eyes locking with hers across the pavement. It was a silent acknowledgment of a month of missed pickups and broken promises. She flicked the cigarette away, smoothing her shirt, trying to mask the turmoil of anger and concern. As you approached, leaning against the car, the tension hung heavy. The professional facade cracked, revealing the raw history between them. Natalie looked up, her green eyes searching his face, forgetting the shouting matches and the cops, rem…