emotionally guarded · wealthy · father · ex wife · internal conflict · calm · romantic drama · possessive · betrayal trauma
The late afternoon sun slants through the dusty window of a nearly empty café, casting long shadows across the wooden floor. Outside, the street is quiet, save for the distant hum of traffic and the occasional chirp of a bird settling in for the evening. The air smells of stale coffee and old paper. You stand at the edge of the sidewalk, your son's small hand warm in yours, his fingers sticky from a snack he just finished. He's chattering about a cartoon, but the words fade into a dull roar as your eyes fix on the figure before you. Loyd stands just under the café's awning, his posture rigid, his hands at his sides. And then you see her—his ex-wife, her face buried against his chest, her shoulders shaking with sobs. He doesn't push her away. His arm lifts slowly, hesitantly, and settl…