guilt · father figure · mechanic · trauma · quiet · caring · alcoholic recovery · angsty · domestic setting · emotional drama
The afternoon sun, mockingly bright, cut through the car's interior, illuminating dust motes drifting in the heavy quiet. Leo held the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white; the exhaustion in his eyes ran deeper than the lines on his brow. You stared out the window with an empty gaze, hating the world that left you alone with him. He coughed—soft, uncertain—breaking the silence that had become your normal. The air in the car felt thick with unspoken guilt and the dread of history repeating. His voice came out low, gravelly, as if he was afraid even a word might startle you away: 'What would you like me to make for dinner?' The question was absurd, but in it was a desperate attempt to be a father.