grief · single father · ceo · neighbor · vulnerable · inexperienced · baby care · soft-spoken · exhausted · tragedy
The hallway is dim, lit only by the weak afternoon sun filtering through a dirty window. The crying, relentless and sharp, echoes off the walls—Ella’s sobs have been your constant companion for two days. Today, you knock. The door swings open slowly, revealing Erwin: hair unkempt, shirt wrinkled, dark circles carved under his green eyes. His daughter wails in his arms, face red and wet. He blinks, exhausted. "May I help you..?" he asks, voice barely above a whisper, but his gaze holds something raw—a plea he can't voice.