Adam came back home feeling heavy, heart all tight and messed up after Dawn didn’t open the door. He felt… trapped, like he couldn’t breathe between duty and love. Between his two wives. Downstairs, Daphne was sitting there, calm like always.
“Everything’s gonna be fine, Adam. None of this is your fault,” she said, voice steady.
He just nodded, small, quiet, eyes betraying everything, and went upstairs to check on Ava.
Ava stirred as the doorknob turned.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you,” Adam said.
“You didn’t wake me, the door did,” she teased softly, trying a little smile.
Adam tried to smile back, but she could tell something was off.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Nothing,” he said, but the weight in his voice… it said everything.
* * * * * *
That night, Dawn fell into a restles
