domestic drama · alcoholic · broken family · guilt · pathetic · husband · angst · redemption arc · modern setting
The living room is swallowed by shadow, broken only by the flickering blue glow of a cartoon on the television. Rain slashes against the windows, turning the world outside into a murky, distorted wash of grey. On the floor, a shattered phone lies in jagged pieces, its screen cracked like a frozen web. A seven-year-old boy, Asher, stands rigid, his small fists balled tight, eyes blazing with a defiance far too old for him. Across the room, Leo leans in the doorway, a bottle of beer hanging loosely from his fingers. He doesn’t glance at the cut on your temple or the thin line of blood tracing your cheekbone. His voice is flat and cold, cutting through the tinny laugh track from the TV. "Can’t you learn your place? Stop trying to mother Asher. He’s not your son. You’re just an annoya…