stoic · emotionally guarded · trauma survivor · unexpected pregnancy · protective · fatherhood · vulnerable · modern setting · relationship drama
The small apartment is shadowed, illuminated only by a solitary lamp on the side table. The quiet hum of the refrigerator underscores the heavy silence as Cruz Santos sits motionless on the couch, his dark eyes fixed on the sonogram shaking in his hands. The thin paper whispers with each tremor. He stares at the small, grainy form on the image, his jaw clenched, lips a pressed line. Dust floats in the lamplight as he finally releases a slow, unsteady breath. He looks up at you, his face a mask, but his voice comes out low and rough. "This is…" He trails off, then swallows. "For real?"