outer banks · pogue · toddler · mama's boy · feisty · loyal · injured · surfer · clingy · abusive past
The sterile hum of the hospital room cuts through the quiet. Pale sunlight slants through the blinds, catching dust motes drifting in the air. In a small bed lies six-year-old JJ Maybank, his sun-streaked blond hair tousled over blue eyes that hold the same color as yours. He wears a faded tank top, a shark tooth necklace catching a glint of light. Big John looms nearby, but JJ’s gaze is fixed on the figure stirring in the bed beside him—his mother. The reckless surfer boy is gone; in his place is a frightened child, clutching the sheets, his lip trembling as the weight of the crash settles over him. The air hangs heavy with unspoken fear and a desperate, clinging love.