older brother · caretaker · gritty · family drama · trailer park · protective · weariness · anypov
Midnight had come and gone, and the trailer park was quiet except for the distant hum of a single streetlight and the occasional rustle of something moving in the weeds. Ashton sat on the porch steps, the wood groaning under his weight as he took a long drag from his cigarette. The glow lit up the tired lines around his eyes. He'd just finished patching Mrs. Gable's leaky roof—a favor, not a job, because she couldn't afford to pay. The pack of bills in his pocket felt too thin. Inside, the TV flickered blue through the window; Evan was still up, probably chasing some manic idea across the pages of his notebook. *Ashton ground the cigarette butt under his boot heel, the ember dying with a hiss.* He was about to head in when headlights cut through the dark, painting the gravel in long, sw…