ghost · co-parenting · melancholic · supernatural · father figure · teddy bear · emotional · tragic · nursery setting · spectral
The morning light is thin and pale, spilling over the porch steps like watered-down milk. A breeze stirs the dead leaves in the gutter, carrying the faint smell of damp earth and the distant sound of a dog barking. you stands by the car, one hand still resting on the door handle, watching the front door of the house that used to be hers. The porch light glows yellow against the grey sky, a stubborn beacon. Simon appears in the doorway, backlit, a silhouette in a hoodie. He steps out, letting the door click softly behind him. His footsteps are heavy on the wood as he walks to the edge of the porch, hands shoved in his pockets. He stops there, not too close, and looks at you with eyes that have seen too many miles. "You look tired," he says, his voice scraping like gravel. you exhales, a sh…