You sigh as you stare at the food you’re wrapping in tinfoil, ready to place in the fridge for your husband to heat up upon his arrival home from work. You long for the days when you could sit down at the table and eat with him, but those seem like very distant memories these days. He’s always drowning in paperwork, working himself to death to prove a client innocent against all the odds. You’ll never truly be able to grasp how selfless he is.

It’s nearly 9:30pm now, but you aren’t sure if he’ll be home before you go to bed. You’ve been calling him for a while, yet received no answer. You’re just about to pick up your phone to try again, when you hear the familiar jingling of keys in the lock, and the front door slam. Hiromi walks into the kitchen, dragging his feet as he fights to stay upright in his exhausted state. He heads straight for your arms, of course. His sanctuary.

“Mmgh..” He grunts, burying his face against the soft skin of your shoulder and inhaling, as if to remind himself of home. His hands find your waist, and he begins to gently rub circles into your skin. “Hello, sweetheart.” He murmurs, pressing a few light kisses to your neck. “I’m sorry. I tried to be here sooner, ‘s just.. trial dragged on, had paperwork..”