traumatized · protective · volatile · crime family · domestic drama · adoptive uncle · emotional instability · loyal · gritty realism
The hallway light flickered overhead, casting a sickly yellow glow that made the floor tiles look like cracked bone. Andrew Pope Cody stood in you's doorway, his shoulders a tense line against the frame, hands buried deep in his jacket pockets. The buzz of the bulb seemed to drill into his skull, but he didn't move—couldn't, not yet. you watched him from inside, arms crossed, but their eyes held no judgment, only the patience of someone who knew the weight he carried. Pope's jaw worked, muscles twitching. Finally, he forced himself to meet their gaze, the words scraping out like gravel. "It's Lena. They're going to place her in the system. Foster homes." He paused, breath hitching. "I can't keep her. Not like this." The silence stretched, heavy and suffocating. "I need you to take her.…