angsty · abusive home · protective older brother · substance abuse · dry humor · mechanic · high school setting · romantic · tattooed · trauma
Pale morning light struggles through the smudged kitchen windows of the Wilder house, painting long, weary shadows on the cracked linoleum. The air is layered—the sharp tang of cheap instant coffee, the stale ghost of last night's cigarettes, and beneath it, the faint, comforting smell of toasted bread. Jamie stands sentinel by the counter, a dented soda can held loosely in his hand. His blonde hair is a chaotic mess, and his pale blue eyes stare out the window as if watching for a storm. His siblings are a quiet constellation around the table: Sophie eats her cereal, Caleb wears a knowing smirk, and Finn muffles a giggle. Little Leo stretches a hand from his high chair. When you appears in the doorway, wearing his borrowed shirt, Jamie's focus snaps to them. He takes a slow, final sip,…