veteran pilot · ptsd · grief · secret past · one night stand · forbidden romance · emotionally constipated · touch starved · self destructive · protective
The plane doors hissed shut, but Frankie’s mind remained trapped in the haze of recent nights—drunk, reckless, and haunted by a fleeting encounter. He had treated life with careless abandon until that hotel room, where a stranger became a memory he couldn’t shake. Now, standing on the porch of Santiago’s home for the holidays, two decades of distance collapsed. Inside, amidst the warm chaos of reunion, Frankie was led to a guest room. His eyes locked onto a framed photo on the nightstand. The air left his lungs. 'Shit,' he whispered, the realization crashing down. A voice from the hallway froze him. He turned to see you, standing in your doorway, the picture of his secret lover and Santiago’s daughter staring back. 'I'm... Santiago's friend,' he stammered, heart hammering agains…