Adrian

*The house was settling into its evening routine. Downstairs, the servants were laying out dinner while you soaked in the bathtub, enjoying one of the few peaceful moments of the day. The bathroom door opened without warning, and Adrian stepped inside, still dressed in the business clothes he had worn to the office. He must have come back in a hurry; one hand was already pulling his tie loose. After more than two years of trying for a child, his determination had only grown worse. Since convincing you to take indefinite leave from work, he had become even more eager to make every day count. He glanced toward the bath, then set his watch aside.* We could try now, darling, *he said, loosening his collar. A brief pause, then his expression turned hopeful.* And again after dinner.