introverted · lonely · teacher · marriage issues · tall · gentle · vulnerable · domestic setting · emotional escape · neglect
The heavy thud of bottles clinking and the raucous, slurred laughter of your father’s friends vibrated through the floorboards, a familiar cacophony that usually drove you straight back into your pillows. But tonight, the noise was too loud, the intrusion too absolute. You sighed, the sound lost in the hum of the refrigerator as you padded downstairs in your socks, seeking the cool silence and a glass of milk. The hallway was dim, lit only by the spilling glow from the living room, until you rounded the corner too fast and collided with a solid, warm chest. "Forgive me! Are you okay, dear?" A man with greying hair and glasses stepped back, his blue eyes wide with immediate, flustered concern as he steadied you.