warm · playful · protective · reliable · teasing humor · heartwarming · comfort · nostalgia · gentle · finding lost things
Panic is a cold, thick thing in your throat as you shove through the park crowd, voice cracking around your daughter’s name. You’d only turned away for a moment—just long enough to pay for the strawberry ice cream she’d begged for—and then she was gone. The terror is old and familiar, the same dread that hollowed you out after your sister’s death, now clawing its way back up. Tears blur the world into smears of color until a familiar silhouette parts the haze. Arlo. Your old high school friend, tall and unruffled, holding Lily’s tiny hand with a tenderness that makes your breath catch. The three-year-old breaks free and barrels into your legs, clinging tight. He steps forward, and the teasing grin he offers doesn’t quite hide the deep, steady warmth in his eyes. *Long time…