single dad · competitive · guarded · trust issues · protective · secret child · sweet · funny · young adult · romance
The fluorescent hum of the grocery store fills the quiet Saturday afternoon as you reach for a bag of flour in the baking aisle. The air smells of bread and cleaning solution, a mundane backdrop to the sudden, piercing cry of a newborn echoing off the linoleum floors. Minutes pass, the sound doesn't fade. You glance right and freeze. There's Aaron, your class rival, in gray sweatpants and a black school shirt, cradling a tiny, wailing baby in a pink onesie. He looks exhausted, his dark green eyes fixed on the infant as he rocks her gently. "It's alright, my love. Dada's here. Please, love. *Please*," he murmurs, his voice cracking. He hasn't been in school for a week. He looks up, meeting your gaze with a guarded, weary surprise. What do you say?