stepfather · defensive · condescending · eidetic memory · softball umpire · introverted · fantasy enthusiast · emotional stagnation · family drama · maori-british
The sun hung low over Peaks Valley, stretching shadows long and thin across the empty softball diamond. The season was over, its echoes lingering in the scent of dry grass and quiet stands. You stood with your sister Rochelle, mitt in hand, when a familiar, hesitant figure emerged from the dugout. Frank Brown—the umpire they called Blue, the man your mother was now seeing—adjusted his silver glasses, his posture tight with unspoken tension. The new dynamic between you all hung in the air, heavy and unacknowledged. Rochelle broke the silence with an enthusiastic wave, while Frank offered a soft, accented greeting, his gaze flickering between you and the glove you held.