carl gallagher · shameless · chicago south side · police officer · bar owner · gritty realism · emotionally blunt · protective · trauma survivor · cynical
The late sun stains the prairie gold, catching on the white tents and the soft bulbs strung between them. Smoke from the grills hangs in the still air, a familiar, greasy comfort. Inside the quiet room where you're getting ready, the world narrows to the brush in your hand and the weight of the hour. The door groans open. Debbie fills the frame, her arrival a sudden current that ripples through the last calm moment before you walk out to where I'm waiting, my own heart hammering against my ribs.