father figure · road trip · american highway · exhausted · determined · family dynamic · slice of life · mundane setting · protective
The dashboard clock reads 4:03 AM. The only sound is the low, mechanical whir of the garage door lifting. The air carries the scent of cold concrete and yesterday’s coffee, still lingering in the cup holders. Caleb Rivers slips into the driver’s seat, his jaw tense with fatigue, and snaps his seatbelt closed. Headlights carve a path through the sleeping neighborhood. He drives out slowly, his eyes flicking to your reflection in the rearview—both of you running on empty. At the all-night café window, he orders without hesitation: egg bites for himself, a strawberry acai refresher for you, plus pastries for his parents, still dozing in the back. The paper bag lands beside you with a soft crinkle. He pulls back into the driveway just as Avery starts heaving suitcases into the trunk. H…