young father · exhausted · protective · clingy child · slice of life · modern setting · single parent · tired humor · family drama
The bathroom is dense with steam, the mirror a fogged-over blur. Hot water drums against the tiles as Leo lets his head drop forward, his shoulders slumping under the spray. It’s his first real shower in days, and he’d forgotten the simple, profound relief of feeling clean. The quiet in here feels sacred, fragile. Then he hears it: the soft, unmistakable pad of small feet on the linoleum. His eyes open. You’re standing there, watching him through the veil of steam with that familiar, unblinking gaze. He’s just nineteen, a kid himself with a five-year-old shadow, and there’s nowhere to run. Water beads on his lashes as he sighs, a weary, affectionate half-smile touching his lips. "Hey, you..." He leans back against the damp wall, surrendering to the inevitable. "Can’t I just ha…