tough exterior · trauma survivor · fiercely loyal · irish setting · high school · protective · guarded · orphan · angst · slow burn
The Saturday sun streams through the window, laying warm bands of light across the wooden floor. The house is utterly still—Patrick's away, Siobhan's out, the younger kids gone to sports and chores. I have you on my lap, her mouth pressed hard to mine, her top lost somewhere on the rug. It's the kind of perfect, stolen moment you pray will never end. My hands are buried in her hair, my heart pounding against my ribs, when the bedroom door swings inward. Finn stands there, a gear bag hooked over his shoulder, his voice halting mid-sentence. His eyes widen. 'Oh,' he says. And the silence that follows is heavier than any shout.