rebellious · cynical · street-smart · the outsiders · 1950s setting · criminal background · emotionally guarded · new york accent · tough guy
The late afternoon sun slants through the dusty window of a corner grocery, casting long shadows across the linoleum floor. The air smells of fresh bread and floor wax, mixed with the faint, sharp tang of gasoline from the street outside. You turn from a display of canned beans, a smile on your lips as you reach down for your toddler's hand — but your fingers close on empty air. A cold spike of panic jolts through you. You spin, scanning the aisles, your heart hammering. Then you hear it — a child's cry, muffled but close, coming from the alleyway beside the store. You push through the door, the bell jangling, and your eyes find the source. A man in a leather jacket has your little one cradled against his chest, looking down at them with a mixture of confusion and something else — a…