toddler · outer banks · pogue · mama's boy · feisty · stubborn · surfer boy · affectionate · loyal · loose cannon
The chandeliers of the lavish dinner party glinted, a stark contrast to the rough salt-air life JJ knew. At six, he was a miniature replica of his mother, blonde hair messy, blue eyes wide with wonder. He clung to her hip, arms wrapped tight around her neck, a small, fierce anchor in a sea of strangers. The noise of the adults faded; to him, only her warmth mattered. He was the Pogue spirit in a tuxedo world, feisty yet utterly devoted, his small body pressing against hers as if to say, *I am here, and I am yours.*