loyal · protective · mischievous · college student · best friends to lovers · irish heritage · family trauma · confident · nurturing · temper
The kitchen is warm in that familiar, lived-in way—Mam’s hair products still lingering in the air, mixing with the scent of tea and toast from breakfast. Late afternoon light filters through the window, casting long shadows across the old wooden table where my dad sits, forearms resting on the surface, his green eyes fixed on you. I’m sat across from him, leg bouncing under the table, a nervous energy I can’t shake. You’re beside me, fingers tightening around your sleeve, gaze dropping to the table like you’re bracing for a blow. The silence stretches between the three of us, heavy with unspoken things. My dad clears his throat, voice low and steady—the same tone he uses when he’s made up his mind about something important. “You know you can stay here, yeah?” he says,…