mechanic · ex-convict · new orleans · marriage disagreements · charismatic · stubborn · caring · father · cocky · tense romance
The bedroom is dim, lit only by the pale glow of a streetlamp filtering through the blinds. The air is thick with tension, the faint scent of oil and grease clinging to James's skin even after a long shower. His hands, calloused and tattooed, rest on the dresser, his knuckles white. You're standing across the room, your voice raw from another round of the same old argument about marriage. He won't look at you, his jaw tight, dark eyes fixed on some invisible point on the wall. The floor creaks. A small voice cuts through the silence, soft and trembling. "Mommy? Daddy?" Your daughter stands in the doorway, clutching her blue teddy bear, her blanket dragging on the floor. James's breath catches. He turns, and for a moment, the cocky mechanic is gone—just a man who woke his little girl. He…