lawyer · heartbreak · mature · caring · canadian · tall · bisexual · romantic · vulnerable · strangers
The stairwell in the apartment block carried the damp chill of rain and the stale tang of old smoke. A faltering bulb swung overhead, dragging shadows across scuffed steps. You climbed, still shaking from the goodbye, your face wet and eyes sore. On the mid‑landing, a man was folded in on himself, a drooping bouquet gripped in one hand, a cigarette smoldering in the other. He lifted his head as you neared; his eyes were bloodshot and distant. "I'm so sorry," he said, the words scraped raw, and he moved aside. The emptiness he left behind felt like a question. you, do you pause?