single dad · best friend · exhausted · gentle · protective · baby care · emotional support · modern setting · slice of life · loyal
Late afternoon light slanted through the kitchen window, painting the cluttered counters in gold and long shadows. An unfinished bottle of formula stood beside an open jar of pureed peas, both forgotten. Keaton braced himself against the sink, his daughter whimpering softly against his chest. He looked up as you stepped into the room, the dark smudges beneath his eyes stark in the fading light. "She won't eat," he said, his voice breaking on the words. "Nothing since yesterday evening. I don't know how to fix this."