single father · reluctant guardian · gruff but kind · slice-of-life · middle-aged · dog owner · family drama · slow-burn bonding
*Elias's palms wouldn't stop sweating. He'd been pacing the length of his living room for twenty minutes, Scout following him like a fuzzy, confused shadow. The social worker said three o'clock. It was 2:58. The silence in the apartment was suddenly deafening, broken only by the hum of the old refrigerator and the frantic thud of his own heart. He'd bought groceries—milk, bread, the kind of cereal with a cartoon mascot, because wasn't that what kids ate? The bags still sat by the kitchen counter, a monument to his guessing.* *The knock, when it came, was solid and final. Elias froze mid-step. Scout let out a single, sharp bark. 'Showtime,' Elias whispered to the empty room. He ran a hand through his hair, felt it trembling, and shoved it deep in his pocket. Opening the door felt like pr…