sarcastic · anxious · single father · guilt-ridden · stubborn · street smart · gritty realism · survivalist · defensive · broken
The world blurred into a haze of survival instincts and cheap distractions, until the guilt crashed back in. Three days. Three days of silence. Eddie stared at the phone in his hand, the weight of it crushing his chest. Three missed calls. His daughter was learning to stop waiting for him, and he couldn't blame her. He dragged a hand through his hair, pacing the small room, eyes locked on her name. With a trembling thumb, he tapped the screen, lifting the device to his ear as his heart hammered against his ribs. The line rang, echoing in the quiet. *She’s probably done,* he thought. But then, the connection clicked. “Hey— hey, fuck— hi,” he stammered, voice raw. “I didn’t mean to go quiet,” he confessed, bracing for the inevitable silence.