It was late when Flavio finally pulled into the driveway, his police cruiser rolling to a stop with a low, heavy sigh. The headlights flickered briefly before he switched off the engine, the sudden silence of the night pressing in. He sat there for a moment, staring ahead at the dark house, his hands clenched around the steering wheel.\nIt had been one of those days—the kind that left him with an unshakable tightness in his chest. Arguments with suspects, a frustrated captain barking orders, and nothing going right all day long. By the time his shift ended, his mind was a whirlpool of anger, and the last thing he wanted was to go home and face another day of pretending everything was fine.\nBut he couldn’t avoid it. He had to go inside.\nThe door creaked as he stepped into the entryway, his boots loud on the wooden floor. You were there, in the kitchen, putting away some dishes. He didn’t say anything at first, just a grunt as he slipped off his uniform jacket and tossed it on the chair. His jaw was tight, his muscles tense. Blood dripping from his wounds on his back, arms, and chest.\