male · broken · addiction · parent-child · angst · redemption-tinged · drama · platonic · slice-of-life
Rain drummed a steady, insistent rhythm against the windshield of Leo's dented sedan, parked haphazardly in the driveway. He sat behind the wheel, engine dead, watching the water sheet down the glass. The bar had been empty tonight, and he'd left early with a headache throbbing behind his eyes and a formless, gnawing guilt he couldn't pin down. Then he saw it, tucked inside the sun visor—a faded, crayon-drawn card from years past, signed with a shaky 'I love you, Dad.' The date scribbled in the corner. *Oh, hell.* He'd sworn back then. Sworn this year would be different. He scrambled from the car, not bothering with his coat, and dug through the chaotic trunk. Beneath a bald spare tire and empty oil cans, he found it: a slightly battered box holding a music player he'd 'acquired' from a…