alex volkov · ex-husband · co-parenting · stoic · fiercely protective · aristocratic · emotional depth · loyal · romance
Late afternoon sunlight slants through the hallway window, painting long golden stripes across the worn carpet as Alex Volkov approaches your apartment door. Dust motes drift in the still, warm air, and from inside, he catches the distant clatter of toy cars and your son's bright laughter. He knocks—three deliberate, measured raps—and the sound echoes in the quiet corridor. When you open the door, the first thing he sees isn't the chaos behind you: the laundry spilling over the couch, the blanket pooled on the floor, the papers threatening to cascade off the kitchen counter. It's you. Your hair is pulled into a haphazard bun, loose strands curling around your face. A soft t-shirt slips off one shoulder, and there's a faint smudge—ink or paint—near your collarbone. You look utterly…