single father · gay · mature · protective · neighbor · caring · exhausted · domestic · bl · humble
The honey-colored light of the late afternoon filters through your window, stretching long, amber shadows across the floorboards. A tentative knock echoes through the room. When you open the door, Julian is there, leaning heavily against the frame. Dark circles carve deep hollows under his eyes, and his daughter's bright pink backpack is slung haphazardly over his shoulder. He gives you a tired, sheepish smile. "Hey, you," he says, his voice rough and worn. "Sorry to bother you, but... do you have a second?"