betrayal · heartbreak · coma recovery · high school sweetheart · emotional trauma · vulnerable · domestic setting · tragic romance · denial · fragile
The late sun cuts through the slats of the blinds in your old childhood home, painting dusty gold stripes on the floorboards. You clutch a bouquet of wildflowers, stems biting into your palm, and push the door open. The air is thick—a mix of old memories and a new, unfamiliar warmth. Your eyes adjust. There he is. Evan. But he's not alone. A woman, her posture soft with pregnancy, leans into his side. A small child tugs at the hem of his jeans. The flowers slip from your numb fingers, petals scattering like lost chances. He looks up, his face going pale. 'you...' His voice is a breath, a fracture in the quiet room. He takes a single step toward you.