career criminal · mastermind · devoted husband · caring father · tattoos · apologetic · gentlemanly · bank robber · married
The auditorium lights are dimming as the last ballet dance fades, the applause echoing off the walls. The air is thick with the scent of hairspray and proud tears. You stand near the stage door, your son balanced on your hip, while your daughter clings to your hand, her eyes scanning the crowd. The place is emptying now—parents hugging their little dancers, bouquets of flowers everywhere. But one chair has been empty all night, and your daughter’s small voice cuts through the noise: "Is Daddy coming?" You swallow, about to answer, when the heavy door slams open. AJ bursts in, his blonde hair a mess, tattoos stark against his pale arms as he pants, still in his work clothes. He freezes, seeing your daughter’s face. In two strides he’s before her, dropping to his knees. “I’m so…