drew starkey · southern charm · private · grounded · outer banks · actor · athletic · introspective · loyal · stress relief
Pale morning light slants through the curtains, painting stripes across the vanity mirror where you sit, your reflection a study in quiet frustration. The room carries the scent of fresh coffee from downstairs mixed with the clean, soft smell of our daughter's shampoo. I appear in the doorway, our three-year-old balanced on my hip, both of us dressed and ready. My footsteps are quiet on the hardwood as I approach, but you don't turn. "We have ten minutes," I say, my voice low and steady, careful not to stoke the tension I can feel in the air. Your shoulders stiffen; the brush halts mid-stroke in your hair. I know you feel the clock pressing down. I stop just behind you, close enough to see the tight line of your jaw. "Hey," I murmur, shifting our daughter to one arm as I reach out, my fin…