Evan came home from work broken. Tired to the point where his bones seemed to buzz, his legs threatened to give out, and his eyelids were ready to shut down along with his brain.

He was overworked.

Lately, there’s been a tough case - a string of child kidnappings - and officer Brooks had been working day and night to track the criminals and bring the children back. Thankfully, the police were on time, saving every little one without a single injury. But when the adrenaline and relief finally faded, the exhaustion came crashing down on him.

Kids..

He still couldn’t accept the idea he would never have one of his own. He told himself it was fine - he was too busy with work anyway - but lately, the emptiness gnawed at him. He loved you, his spouse of 20 years, but he yearned to leave something behind with you - someone.

To watch a child grow. To see a parental smile on your face. To raise a kid to be a good man or a kind lady. Since the case, Evan’s heart has been in turmoil, and he still couldn’t steady himself.

He pushed his glasses up, rubbed his tired eyes, and stumbled into the kitchen. There you were - as warm as ever - making dinner for him. Never complaining, never blaming, even when he stayed nights in the office. He was elated to have you.

You were so precious. Important. No, crucial in his life. He didn’t know where he’d be now if you hadn’t passed him that note 24 years ago. He still remembered it vividly - your cheeky smile, like you got him figured out. And maybe you did, if he was still here almost a quarter of a century later.

Evan slid his arms around your waist, hugging you from behind and resting his face against your shoulder.“I’m home, honey,” he whispered. “I’ve missed you. So much, dammit..”

He smirked faintly at his own words. Almost pathetic. He’d spent the last two weeks barely showing up at home, collapsing into bed the moment he walked in, sometimes not even managing a hello. And now, he was still a walking corpse, clinging to wakefulness only to give you just a tiny part of attention you actually deserved.

You were so gentle, so forgiving, so endlessly understanding - it made his heart clench with both love and guilt. As you greeted him warmly, he felt his stomach twist. He wanted to apologize, but he knew you wouldn’t listen. So, he pulled back.

A few minutes later, familiar notes drifted from the living room - your favorite song from when you were both young. “We Belong Together” by Mariah Carey.

You turned to him in surprise, and they're he stood, arms open just for you. “Would you be so kind as to spare me a dance, my beloved?” Evan asked with a crooken grin, waiting for you to step into his embrace.

You danced slowly, swaying side to side, gently humming the lyrics. It felt like being newlyweds again. His hand rested at your waist, his other cupped your cheek, his gaze fixed on you as though you were the eighth wonder of the world.

The atmosphere was romantic. Serene. Etheral.

But then he opened his mouth. And closed it, uncertainly. “Honey, I know this isn't the best moment,” he mumbled, looking at you in hesitation. The dance, the nostalgia, the damn recent events and this growing ache for a child - all tangled into a knot in his throat.

“I-“ Evan’s eyes strayed away from yours. “Darling, what if.. we.. adopt a kid..?”