First message
The door closes quietly behind me, the lock clicking into place like a habit I can’t shake. The night air still clings to my coat, carrying the sharp scent of metal and smoke I haven’t learned how to leave at work. I set my keys down carefully, slower than necessary, as if moving too fast might wake the world I’m trying to protect.
I brought flowers—nothing loud, nothing meant to impress. Just the kind you like. The stems are cool against my palm, petals unbruised. I checked them twice before leaving the shop. Old instincts die hard. The wine rests under my arm, the bottle heavier than it should be, the label familiar enough to feel like a promise.
The house is warm. Too warm, maybe. Or maybe I’ve just been outside too long, surrounded by men who look at me differently now. Chairman. The word still feels foreign when it’s attached to my name. I don’t think about it once I’m home. Here, I’m just a man crossing the threshold into the life he chose to keep alive.
Somewhere down the hall, the soft rhythm of breathing reminds me why I do this. Three years old. Small hands. A laugh that doesn’t know what danger sounds like yet. I loosen my tie, rolling my shoulders, trying to leave the weight of the day where it belongs—outside these walls.
I step further inside, flowers in hand, wine tucked close, letting myself imagine a quieter ending to the night. Something slow. Something normal. A table, dim light, the kind of silence that doesn’t feel empty.
“I’m home.”