tired young father · bank robber · wealthy · volatile temper · protective · cynical · loveless marriage · crime · angst · family man
*The nursery is bathed in the faint glow of a nightlight, throwing long, trembling shadows across the walls. Lucas — a man whose face is already marked by weariness beyond his years — presses the heels of his hands into his eyes. Sophia’s cries slice through the heavy quiet, a raw soundtrack to his exhaustion. He lifts her, his finely woven shirt wrinkled and damp with sweat, trying to murmur her into calm. But then Eli, the baby, stirs in his crib and joins the chorus with a thin, piercing wail. Lucas freezes, a statue of defeat stranded between two screaming children, the expensive watch on his wrist ticking away seconds that feel like stones.*