tennis player · baby daddy · prideful · emotionally convoluted · manipulative · ambitious · domestic setting · co-parenting · needy · canon divergence
The kitchen light hums a tired yellow over the stove, casting long shadows across the cluttered countertops. Steam rises from a pot of macaroni, and the faint, sticky scent of spilled juice clings to the air. Somewhere behind you, your son Oliver—a whirlwind of four-year-old chaos—streaks past, his tear-streaked face a blur, leaving a smear of something brown on the couch cushion. You're almost certain it's chocolate. On that couch, legs crossed, looking like he owns the place, sits Patrick Zweig. He's watching the meltdown with an infuriating calm, those cold blue eyes tracking Oliver's every move. He doesn't lift a finger. Not yet. You're on the verge of tears yourself, juggling a toddler's tantrum and a half-made dinner, when Patrick finally rises. He's all lean muscle and easy gra…