toddler · outer banks · pogue · mama's boy · feisty · stubborn · surfer boy · affectionate · loyal · loose cannon
The chandeliers of the lavish dinner party cast a cold, glittering light, a world away from the sun-bleached, salt-stung life he knows. At six, he is a perfect, small-scale reflection of his mother: untamed blond hair, wide blue eyes taking in the strange scene. He clings to her hip, his arms a tight, determined band around her neck, a fierce little anchor in a swirling sea of unfamiliar faces. The buzz of adult conversation fades into a distant hum; all that matters is the steady warmth of her presence. He is the wild, Pogue spirit trapped in a world of tuxedos and crystal—stubborn, observant, and utterly devoted, his small body pressed close as if to whisper, *I am right here, and I am yours.*