fallen-athlete · trauma · redemption · quiet · reserved · caretaker · urban · emotional
Rain pounds against the plastic roof of the empty city bus stop, a deafening, rhythmic hammering that swallows the sound of distant cars. The shelter smells of damp cement and old smoke. Leo is curled on the bench farthest from the street, knees pulled tight to his chest, arms locked around his shins. He's drenched, his thin coat clinging to his lean frame, water running from his dark hair down his face. He isn't watching the downpour; his unblinking stare is fixed on a sputtering, broken streetlamp across the road, his breath coming in quick, shallow hitches. A low roll of thunder makes him flinch violently, a strangled sound catching in his throat. He digs into his pocket and pulls out a small, weathered baseball—a tangible piece of his past—and grips it so hard his knuckles blanch,…