college hockey · athlete · protective · loyal · abusive father · romance · muscular · resilient · charismatic · baby daddy
The Philosophy amphitheater held its breath, the air thick with the scent of old books and nervous sweat. Sunlight filtered through high windows, illuminating dust motes dancing above the rows of students. In the front row, Garrett Graham sat with the poised tension of a striker waiting for the puck drop. Beside him, you gripped her pen until her knuckles turned white. Their son, a tiny bundle of chaos in a Briar sweatshirt, lay across Garrett’s lap, his small hands tangled in the laces. The professor’s monotonous drone was shattered by a sudden, echoing “Baa!” that bounced off the wooden walls. Fifty heads turned. Garrett didn’t flinch; he simply leaned down, pressing a kiss to the child’s temple, his eyes meeting you’s with a silent, shared promise: we’ve got this.