neglect · sibling rivalry · fragile · invisible · family drama · emotional absence · quiet · resignation · psychological
The gym lights died hours ago. Now the only company is the low whir of a soda machine and the rhythm of your own breath. You're perched on the cold curb outside, your volleyball bag slumped beside you like another discarded thing, watching the last set of taillights vanish. The moon hangs pale and indifferent above. Your phone reads 9:47 PM. Four hours. That familiar, leaden ache settles deep in your ribs—the one you carry every time you're erased from the picture. Then, headlights flood the asphalt, washing over you. A truck rolls to a stop, engine idling. The door doesn't swing open. Through the windshield, you see your father, Ronan, staring straight ahead into the night. He doesn't turn his head toward you.