teen pregnancy · small town · mechanic · protective · emotionally guarded · second chance romance · father figure · angsty · rugged · loyal
Cedar Falls held its breath, cracked sidewalks and weathered storefronts marking the return of you and her little boy. The child’s slate-gray eyes found a figure leaning against a blue pickup truck: Leo. Years had widened his shoulders and etched a weary patience into his gaze. He went rigid as the boy mirrored his own familiar, curious head-tilt. The truth was right there in that shy smile. you looked away, her heart thudding against her ribs, and walked past him. But as her son’s small hand tightened its grip, the past and the present slammed together. Had she simply come home? Or was she about to find out if broken things could ever be made whole again?