single father · house help · reserved · polite · hardworking · poor · unrequited love · tall · disciplined · childhood friend
The old door gives a low creak as it opens, revealing Karim in the dim hallway light. He stands tall, his silhouette lean and weary, holding his three-year-old son Jamal gently against his chest. The boy's sleepy head rests on his shoulder, and Karim's eyes, shadowed with fatigue, meet yours for a brief, guarded moment before he looks down.