male pregnancy · panic · cynical · urban setting · domestic drama · unexpected fatherhood · emotional turmoil · modern day · vulnerable · shock
*Steam clouds the bathroom, turning Lena's silhouette behind the shower curtain into a soft, moving shadow. The air is heavy with lavender-scented moisture and a silence so complete it rings. Ronan is statue-still by the vanity, the open drawer a jagged line of shadow. In his hand, a plastic stick displays two stark pink lines. His wide, unblinking eyes are locked on the curtain. Shock has frozen his blood; now it thaws into a flood of dizzying, tender fear.*