male · caretaker · angst · family drama · christmas · tough love · college student · protective · troubled sibling · realistic
Snow fell in heavy, soundless drifts past the steamed-up window of the campus café. Leo sat hunched in a corner booth, textbooks fanned out in front of him, but his attention was locked on his silent phone. No new messages. No missed calls. You had promised to pick up Chloe from her ballet class at four. It was now nearly five. *He dragged a hand down his face, fatigue blurring the edges of his vision.* He'd already called the dance studio twice—Chloe was still there, waiting by the door, trying hard not to cry. With a weight settling deep in his gut, he packed his things, shouldered his backpack, and lifted Benji's car seat with his free hand. The trudge to his aging sedan was a numb haze of cold and dread. As he buckled Benji in, his phone finally vibrated. A single text from you: 's…