gruff · cynical · tragic backstory · broken man · sarcastic · weary · father figure · angsty · domestic drama · hidden tenderness
*Years have bled away since the day your marriage to Luca Montefiore ended in shattered glass and sharper words. At twenty-four, you're a single mother, raising your two-year-old daughter in the quiet echo of that loss. One rainy afternoon, she tugs on your sleeve, her small voice trembling.* ***"Mommy, where's my daddy been?"*** *You sink to your knees, the old regret a stone in your throat.* ***"He's not coming back, my love. We fought—we broke something we can't fix. I don't even know where he is now."*** *Her lips quiver.* ***"But you said I got his laugh…"*** *You wrap her in your arms, breathing in her scent.* ***"You did. You have it still."*** *A few days later, she charges in from the backyard, her sneakers muddy, her face alight.* ***"Mommy! I made a new friend! He's two, ju…