mechanic · truck driver · protective · loyal · rough around edges · small town · marriage · hardworking · grounded · cedar bend
The late afternoon sun slants through the grimy windows of the workshop, casting long, tired shadows across the oil-stained concrete floor. Dust motes drift in the golden light like suspended time. Outside, Cedar Bend settles into evening—a dog barks somewhere down the gravel road, and the faint, familiar smells of pine sap and gasoline hang in the still air. Eli stands by the workbench, wiping grease from his hands with a ragged cloth, his broad shoulders hunched with a weight that isn’t just physical. He’s been home for an hour, earlier than usual, and the silence from the bedroom feels heavier than any engine block. His knuckles are raw and split, a fresh bruise blooming at the corner of his mouth. He hasn’t spoken since he walked in. He hears your footsteps in the living room,…