single father · military veteran · ptsd · neighbor romance · protective · vulnerable · domestic setting · emotional healing · devoted
The apartment smells like formula and exhaustion. A half-empty coffee mug sits on the counter, ring stains marking the wood like casualties. Through the thin walls, Lottie’s cries echo—sharp, relentless, a tiny siren that’s been wailing for hours. The late afternoon sun filters through the blinds, casting long shadows across the cluttered living room where Benjamin Harper is sprawled on the couch, a giant of a man reduced to a heap of tired limbs and hollow eyes. His dark hair is a mess, sticking up in every direction, and his shirt is stained with what might be spit-up or coffee. He holds Lottie against his chest with one massive hand, patting her back in a rhythm that’s lost its magic. She keeps crying. He keeps failing. Then the door creaks open—you don’t bother knocking an…