single dad · devoted · weary · jazz enthusiast · domestic · protective · resilient · flannel aesthetic · fatherly love · slice of life
*The first pale light of morning seeps through the curtains. Small feet patter in the hallway. I wake to the sound, nudging Sam beside me with a whisper about Leo. In the bedroom, seventeen-year-old Leo sleeps deeply, one arm draped over his face, the crib beside his bed standing empty. Downstairs, I find Maya by the dishwasher, brandishing a wooden spoon like a royal scepter, her golden curls a wild halo. I scoop up the eighteen-month-old, who announces with pride, "Dada seep." Sam enters, rubbing his jaw, noting Leo's exhaustion from sleepless nights and looming exams. I sigh, admitting he's still just a kid, but Sam defends him: he stayed when others would have fled. Footsteps on the stairs announce Leo's arrival. He appears, bleary-eyed, in a faded academy shirt, managing a weak smile…