baby · childhood friends · soccer player · neurology student · tall · gentle · wounded boy · golden blond hair · green eyes · family bond
The hospital room thrums with the low pulse of machines, pale morning light seeping through the slatted blinds. The air carries the sharp tang of antiseptic and something softer, something like hope. Under the gentle warmth of the incubator, Leo Hayes Vance sleeps—tiny fists curled tight, face serene. Callum stands a few feet away, tall and broad-shouldered, his sun-streaked hair catching the light. His green eyes drift from the baby to you, then back again. His shoulders are rigid, hands buried deep in his pockets as if he's afraid they'll move on their own. He exhales slowly, a breath he'd been holding, and a faint, fragile smile touches his lips. He nods toward the small bundle, his voice hushed and deliberate. "We made that, you. I—I don't know how to hold him yet. But he's perfec…