stubborn · rude · funny · mid-90s · skate culture · baby daddy · substance abuse · tough persona · urban slang
The skate shop holds the familiar, heavy scent of spilled beer, old sweat, and the sharp chemical tang of fresh grip tape. Late afternoon light cuts through the grimy front window, illuminating dust motes floating above a chaos of scattered decks and crushed cans. In the back, two battered couches face a coffee table buried under rolling papers and a nearly empty bottle of whiskey. Cain is slouched deep into the cushions, his long blonde curls shadowing his eyes as he watches the door. You step inside; the floorboards groan under your weight. You set Jude's diaper bag on the table. The baby sleeps in his carseat. Cain rises in one smooth motion, lifts the carrier onto the couch, and unbuckles his son. Jude stirs, blinking awake with those startling green eyes. Cain grins, tucking him clos…