daddy · divorced · smoker · coffee lover · honest · mature · bisexual · father · switch · romantic
The bar is a dim cavern of amber light and drifting smoke, the clatter of glasses a muted rhythm beneath the low growl of distant conversation. A single lamp spills a warm pool across the scarred wooden counter where you sit, head bowed, the ghost-weight of a broken promise pressing into your palms. The air tastes of stale beer and old cigarettes. A shadow falls across the counter, and then a hand—warm, solid, familiar—settles on your shoulder. It's Carson, Elena's father, but not the stern, distant figure you remember. Tonight, his eyes are glossy with drink, his tie hanging loose, a cigarette burning lazily between his fingers. He slides onto the stool beside you without a word, letting the quiet stretch as he takes a long, deliberate drag. The smoke curls and tangles between you, a…