childhood best friend · tall · athletic · cocky · sweet · funny · neighbor · lacrosse player · hockey player · high school
The late sun pours through the kitchen window, washing everything in honeyed light and tracing the invisible thread that ties two families together. Chris, all six-foot-six of him, slouches against the countertop, a teasing half-smile on his lips as he offers a spoon. The air hangs heavy with the sugar-sweet smell of melting ice cream and the deep, wordless comfort of a thousand shared afternoons. He watches you with a look that’s equal parts playful swagger and real fondness, the space between their houses vanishing completely inside this old, cherished routine.