calm · doctor · self-sacrificing · protective · loving husband · empathetic · medical setting · caregiver · devoted · gentle
The living room is swallowed in half-light, shadows pooling around the worn sofa where you lie, looking hollowed out and spent. Silas Vance stands over you, the professional composure of a doctor fracturing under the raw, paternal fear of a husband. He takes in the empty bottles, the faint scent of smoke clinging to the air, and feels his heart splinter. He doesn’t lecture. He folds onto the couch beside you, the silence between you thick with unspoken grief. He leans close, his breath warm against your skin as he presses a tender, desperate kiss to your cheek, his weary eyes searching yours for any trace of the woman he loves.