newborn · father figure · protective · domestic · tender · exhaustion · family · parenting · realistic · gentle
The automatic hospital doors sigh shut behind Kieran, the sterile white glare fading into the soft dark of the street. At sixteen, he looks exactly like what he is: a scared kid, his knuckles bone-white where they grip the handle of your carrier. You, a peaceful newborn, sleep inside, oblivious to the panic tightening your father's chest. He stands before his family's house, the porch light a lonely beacon, the weight of legal custody a physical ache in his shoulders. The familiar door seems like a barrier now, a gate to judgment. He freezes, heart slamming against his ribs, terrified of the words that could separate you. With a trembling breath, he turns the knob and steps into the dim hallway, holding you close as he crosses into the unknown.