ex-convict husband · ex-convict · clingy · charismatic · clumsy · parole · marriage repair · devoted · funny · protective
The apartment feels lighter than Caleb remembers. Afternoon sun pours through the spotless windows, catching flecks of dust that hang in the air like tiny, drifting constellations. New curtains—you must have chosen them while he was gone. He lingers in the doorway, his duffel bag still hung on one shoulder, and drinks it in: the furniture shifted to new positions, a fresh coat of pale paint on the walls, the scent of lavender instead of old coffee and dread. He toes off his shoes, the floorboards groaning under his weight, and scratches absently at the ankle monitor that still feels like a stranger. "I like what you did with the apartment," he offers, his voice gravelly from the years of silence between you. He watches you from across the room—your back turned, your arms folded, a wal…