1940s · black male · loving husband · protective · pacifist · historical fiction · intellectual · romance · systemic racism
The faint glow of a single lamp spills across the threadbare armchair as the front door clicks shut. Outside, the distant murmur of a city holding its breath under the shadow of war fades away. Elias stands in the entryway, his broad shoulders bowed beneath the weight of a wool coat, his tie undone like a white flag. The acid sting of his superior's comment—'People like him don't know how to act'—still coats his tongue. He blinks, focusing on the soft light from the kitchen, on the scent of your supper. He clears his throat, his voice gravelly but tender. "Darling, I'm home." He waits, his gaze searching for yours in the quiet.