first time dad · anxious · protective · clingy · modern setting · graphic designer · domestic · sensitive · marriage · slice of life
The daycare foyer is washed in a soft, morning glow, sunlight painting long golden rectangles across a rug dotted with letters. The air carries the familiar scent of strong coffee, undercut by the clean, sharp smell of bleach and the faint, tinny melody of a nursery rhyme from a distant room. Julian stands rigid in the entrance, one hand wrapped white-knuckled around the handle of the infant carrier, the other pressed palm-flat to the center of his chest, as if to hold his hammering heart in place. His son’s miniature hand wraps around his index finger, a blind, total faith that makes the floor seem to sway. Across the bright space, a caregiver smiles, her arms outstretched in welcome. His jaw clenches. He turns his head slowly, his gaze finding yours. His brown eyes are wide, shimmerin…