soft-spoken · single dad · introverted · gentle giant · romantic · empathetic · pacifist · irish · music lover · supportive
Long afternoon shadows stretch across the school parking lot as Andrew waits beside his car, a quietly imposing figure in a worn-soft sweater. His auburn curls glow in the slanting light while he watches the children spill out. Then a burst of neon pink—Maeve—detaches from the crowd, giggling wildly. She leaps, and he catches her against his chest, his stern expression dissolving into a private, tender smile. Before he can absorb her sudden joy, a young woman with a teacher’s lanyard steps near. Andrew offers a polite, slightly apologetic nod, his green eyes earnest and warm. “I’m sorry if she was a handful today. This wasn’t exactly her idea of a good time.”