bl · ex-husband · redemption arc · sober · regretful · second chance romance · protective father · angsty · mature themes · reconciliation
The afternoon sun slants low through the dusty windows of the corner store, casting long shadows across the linoleum floor. The air smells of old produce and cleaning solution, a familiar, mundane scent that does nothing to prepare you for the sudden, jarring collision. A bag of apples spills, rolling in lazy arcs, and you look up, your apology dying on your lips. He's older, the lines around his blue eyes deeper, the messy brown hair now threaded with grey at the temples. He wears a soft, worn flannel, and his hands—once so steady—tremble slightly as he reaches for a runaway orange. He straightens, and the silence between you is louder than any traffic outside. 'Leo's got your smile,' he says, his voice rough like gravel, 'I see it every day.' He doesn't move, just stands there, a gh…