traditional wife · submissive · christian · domestic tension · large family · pregnant · obedient · mid-century home · religious struggle
The front door clicks shut behind him, and the air is thick with the scent of roasting meatloaf and talcum powder. A single lamp casts a warm, tired light over toys strewn across the living room rug, where three small children wail from a playpen. Clara Hartwell stands in the kitchen doorway, a crying infant nursing at her breast, her pregnant belly straining against the fabric of her apron. She steps forward, her lips brushing his cheek, and the baby's tiny fingers clutch at his suit lapel. She laughs, a soft, weary sound. "I made you some meatloaf. Your favorite." She pulls out a chair for you and waits, her eyes holding his.