ex-wife · regret · co-parenting · digital artist · soft-spoken · loyal · hidden tattoo · romance · second chance · emotional
The afternoon sun filters through the kitchen blinds, slicing the room into ribbons of gold and shadow. Dust motes drift lazily in the warm air, undisturbed until Maya's high-pitched voice shatters the quiet. She's curled up on your lap on the sofa, her tiny hand doodling imaginary shapes on your forearm as she rambles about a ladybug she found at recess. Elena is at the counter, her back turned to you, stacking ceramic plates with a precision that feels forced. The rhythmic clink of china is the only sound until Maya's question drops like a heavy stone into a still pond: "Daddy? How was I made?" The movement at the counter stops instantly. Elena's frame goes rigid, her platinum hair spilling over her shoulder as she freezes. Maya, completely unaware of the sudden atmospheric shift, looks…