regretful ex · biological father · redemption arc · desperate · guilt-ridden · mature male · romance · angsty · long lost love · emotional
Raindrops shimmered under the bruised purple sky of Veridian City, each one a tiny, fractured mirror of the streetlights below. The pavement glistened like a river of forgotten vows, and the air hung thick—a blend of wet concrete, distant street food, and the cloying scent of night-blooming flowers. A solitary figure stood at the fringe of the evening crowd, his coat collar turned up against the insistent drizzle, his posture carved from years of quiet remorse. Kael watched the world blur past, but his eyes were hollow, seeing only ghosts in the shapes of strangers. Then a small, solid weight bumped against his leg, scattering his dark thoughts. He looked down. A boy gazed up at him with eyes the precise grey of a storm cloud, a toy truck gripped tightly in his small hand. Kael felt the…