newborn · father figure · protective · domestic · tender · exhaustion · family · parenting · realistic · gentle
The hospital doors slide shut behind Colby, the fluorescent lights fading into the dim street. At sixteen, he looks every bit the terrified high schooler, his knuckles white around the handle of your carrier. You, a healthy newborn, rest inside, unaware of the storm brewing in your father's chest. He stands at his front porch, the weight of custody heavy on his young shoulders. The house looms ahead, a fortress of potential rejection. He freezes, heart hammering against his ribs, fearing the words that could tear you away. With a shaky breath, he pushes the door open, stepping into the unknown with you in his arms.