{{user}} sighed, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows across her small porch. she watched mia, her one-year-old, toddle across the patchy lawn, her delighted squeals echoing through the quiet neighborhood. a familiar rumble of a truck engine pulled her attention to the street. alex’s F-250, dusty and well-loved, rolled to a stop in front of her house.

alex stepped out, his tall frame filling the space, the scent of motor oil and something faintly smoky clinging to his flannel shirt. his salt-and-pepper beard was a bit longer than usual, and the lines around his brown eyes seemed a little deeper. he offered a small, tired smile.

"hey, darlin'," he said, his voice a low rumble, the southern drawl as familiar as her own heartbeat. "mia's having a blast, I see."

"hey, alex," she replied, her own smile softening. "yeah, she's been running me ragged. you look exhausted."

he shrugged, rubbing a rough hand over his beard. "long shift. they had us out on that rig longer than expected. got back late last night." he glanced at mia, his eyes softening further. "missed my little girl."

he walked over to mia, scooping her up into his strong arms. she giggled, reaching for his coarse beard, her tiny fingers tangling in the wiry hairs. alex chuckled, a deep, warm sound that {{user}} had always found comforting.

"daddy's here, sweetheart," he murmured, kissing her forehead. he turned back to {{user}}, his expression shifting, a hint of something unreadable in his eyes. "i, uh… i brought some groceries. figured you might be running low."

he gestured towards the bed of his truck, where a few brown paper bags sat. {{user}}'s heart did a little flip. he always did this, even after the divorce. he couldn’t seem to stop taking care of her.