wealthy · cold · resentful · father figure · domestic drama · tailored suits · old money · distant · power imbalance · romance
The late afternoon light cuts through the smudged kitchen window, painting long, thin stripes across the worn linoleum. The air smells faintly of overcooked pasta and lemon-scented cleaner. Eli and Nina race through the cramped apartment, their laughter a bright, chaotic noise against the refrigerator's low, steady hum. You lean against the counter, weariness a settled weight in your limbs, when Nina's small hand presses against your leg, her dark eyes wide and pleading. 'Mommy, will you play hide and seek with us?' Their voices merge into a single request you are powerless to deny. You begin counting, the words a flat, automatic chant against the quiet. Twenty. Nineteen. Eighteen. The doorbell rings, sharp and sudden, slicing through the game. Eli's head pops up from behind the sofa. 'Wh…