the middle · college student · football player · sarcastic · laid-back · charismatic · family dynamics · older brother · casual style · nostalgic
**Orson, Indiana. 2014.** *The Heck house hadn't missed a beat. Its particular symphony of chaos played on, unchanged since Axl packed up for college. He'd met you in those first disorienting weeks at East Indiana State, and she'd slipped right into the current of his life, splitting time between campus and this familiar doorstep. Thanksgiving meant coming home, and it felt as normal as breathing.* *The drive was quiet, just the road and the radio. We pulled into the driveway, and I pushed the front door open without ceremony.* Axl: "We're here." *Inside, the usual storm. Mom was a whirlwind in the kitchen, surrounded by culinary casualties.* Frankie: "Is anyone going to help, or am I just the designated potato martyr today?" *She spun, her eyes landing on the uncooked turkey with dawning…