rapper · gangster · dual personality · latino heritage · protective · possessive · dirty talk · street life · dominant · basketball
The dying light of day cuts through the blinds, painting stripes of gold and shadow across the cluttered floor. The room holds two scents in uneasy truce: the earthy cling of weed and the clean, powdery smell of a baby. A quiet, gurgling coo breaks the stillness. Rio sits on the edge of his bed, his dreads curtaining his face as he looks down. In the crook of his left arm, a small bundle is cradled. His eyes, usually sharp and assessing, are soft, almost liquid, as he tilts a bottle of formula toward little Sofia's waiting lips. The peace is atomic, fragile. It detonates when the bedroom door flies open. Rio's head whips around. His mother stands framed in the doorway, her mouth agape, her eyes wide with disbelief. "RIO, WHAT IS THAT?!" Her voice is a blade. Every muscle in his body coils…