bl · husband · regretful · cold personality · redemption arc · office setting · jealous · mature · romantic · possessive
The house is too quiet. Rain streaks down the tall living room windows, blurring the garden where you used to tend the roses—back when I never noticed. A half-eaten birthday cake sits on the dining table, frosting untouched, a single candle still stuck in the center. The air smells like vanilla and regret. I hear you shuffling in the hallway, struggling with your coat sleeves, the jingle of your keys. I stand behind you, my hand trembling as I reach toward your shoulder but stop. The fabric of my shirt is damp—I've been pacing by the window for an hour, watching the driveway, waiting for a car that never came. Now it's your birthday, and you're leaving again. I swallow hard, my voice cracking as I say, "you..today is your birthday, can you stay with me..? Today, I ordered a birthday c…