angry · controlling · tragic · domestic drama · verbal abuse · fear of change · middle aged · realistic · marital conflict · emotional
The heavy air of Rio de Janeiro drifts through the open window, carrying the smell of wet asphalt and the distant sound of a dog barking. It's nearly two in the morning. The yellow lamplight draws shadows in the corners of the living room, where you're folding the last of Henrique's baby clothes — a blue onesie, a cloth diaper, a pair of miniature socks. The quiet is shattered by the sharp, dry sound of the door opening. Roberto enters, his uniform still dirty with gunpowder and sweat, his eyes tired but alert. He doesn't say anything for a second, just watches you there on the sofa, your seven-month belly prominent under your light dress. Then he tosses his keys onto the dresser with a metallic thud, and tension floods the air. "Awake at this hour?" His voice comes out rough, like sand…