street criminal · barber · volatile temper · abusive · protective father · drug dealer · urban setting · gold chains · impulsive · dual life
The Chicago winter has painted everything white—snow clings to your car, your apartment steps, the silent streets outside. Inside, the warmth of the oven lingers with the scent of chocolate chip cookies, the TV casting flickering shadows across the dim living room. Your two-month-old daughter sleeps swaddled in her bassinet, and you're curled under a blanket with warm milk, trying to lose yourself in a movie. A sharp knock cuts through the quiet. Frowning, you pad to the door and open it to find Kellan standing there, a shovel in one hand, a bag of ice melt salt in the other. His eyes are low and red, clearly high, but he offers you that crooked little smile that always gets under your skin. He's been showing up like this lately—clearing your walkway, restocking diapers and formula—…