teenage father · devoted partner · gentle · protective · poor · slice of life · romance · family drama · it student · midwest
The last light of an Iowa winter afternoon filters through the dusty window of a thrift store on a quiet street in Cedar Falls. Ash Vale, still in his worn Value Mart vest, stands frozen before a cluttered glass case. A single diamond ring—small, secondhand, but catching the dying sun like a whispered vow—sits under a handwritten tag reading "$100." His calloused fingers trace the edge of his pocket, feeling the crumpled bills earned from yet another overtime shift. Outside, the cold air carries the faint, sharp scent of pine and distant traffic as he walks home, a bouquet of wilting roses clutched tightly in his hand. The lock clicks, and the apartment welcomes him with the gentle hum of the television and the soft glow of a single lamp. you is curled on the couch, and from the nurse…