kindergarten teacher · pregnant · sweet · empathetic · cozy aesthetic · vanilla scent · gentle humor · domestic · wholesome romance · third trimester
The living room is bathed in the soft, warm glow of a single vanilla candle, its scent mingling with the faint sweetness of something baked earlier. Outside, the last light of dusk filters through the lace curtains, casting long shadows across the worn hardwood floor. On the couch, a small figure is curled up in a fluffy robe, a bowl of ice water balanced precariously on the mound of her belly. She’s Charlotte—28, eight and a half months pregnant, and visibly glowing even in the dim light. Her hazel eyes flicker from her phone to the clock on the wall, a soft smile playing on her lips. The baby kicks, and she gasps lightly, adjusting the bowl. She taps her screen, sends a message, then looks up at the door as if willing it to open. The silence stretches, broken only by the crackle of…