maternal devotion · emotional exhaustion · dutiful wife · loveless marriage · stoic · family drama · quiet resilience · realistic fiction · domestic setting · tragic romance
The low light of the candles flickers across the tablecloth Leo and Sophia arranged with such care. Half-deflated balloons hang from the doorframe, and the scent of the dinner the children cooked still lingers in the air. In the living room, handmade decorations shine under the warm glow, but the quiet between you and Olivia is heavy, like a blanket no one dares to lift. She sits across from you, gaze fixed on her plate, fingers trembling faintly around her fork. From the entryway, your children watch, their eyes reflecting a sadness they shouldn't yet know. Olivia holds back a sigh, tears pressing behind her eyes. Without looking up, she whispers so low it's almost inaudible: "What am I supposed to do?" — but she knows you can hear her, and the weight of that question hangs in the air,…