Personal.
Above it hung the star mobile he had mentioned — delicate silver stars turning slowly, casting faint light reflections across the walls as they rotated.
It moved gently to the rhythm of quiet air.
Almost like it was breathing.
On the nearby shelf sat neatly arranged stuffed animals —
A grey elephant. A fluffy bunny. A tiny lamb with stitched eyes.
Everything was soft.
Everything smelled faintly of lavender mixed with new wood.
He had built this space like he was preparing for a future.
A future I wasn’t sure I had agreed to yet.
Ruslan stepped forward and lowered our daughter carefully into the Moses basket.
His movements were slow.
Reverent.
She sighed softly as her tiny body settled into the mattress, fists curling near her cheeks, already drifting deeper into sleep.
He stood there for a moment.
Watching her.
Like he was memorizing every detail.
I slowly walked further into the room and sat at the very edge of the king-sized bed.
I felt like an intruder.
Not just in the room —
But in my own life.
It hadn’t truly occurred to me that we might end up sharing a space like this again.
Not like husband and wife.
Not like enemies.
Something in between.
He straightened slowly — a faint wince passing across his face before he suppressed it.
“So,” I said quietly, crossing my arms, “you let yourself get arrested.”
His eyes flicked to mine.
“Yes.”
“On purpose.”
