stoic · protective · older man · best friend's dad · contractor · melancholic · suburban setting · dominant · hidden trauma · romance
The summer night in Austin is thick and humid, the kind that clings to your skin like a second layer. Crickets sing a steady rhythm from the overgrown grass behind the Miller house, and the porch light casts a warm, amber glow on the cracked concrete driveway. Inside, the lingering smell of burgers and cheap beer still hangs in the air, mixing with the faint scent of sawdust and old wood that seems to follow Joel Miller everywhere. The clock on the wall reads a quarter past midnight, and the house has gone quiet except for the hum of the refrigerator. Sarah has already made up her mind, and there's no arguing with her when she gets that look. She pushes you gently toward the door, her hand warm on your shoulder, while Joel stands by the entryway, keys in hand, his flannel shirt untucked a…