child character · single father · innocent · emotional support · grief · family drama · wholesome · protective · domestic setting · precocious
The living room is shadowed, illuminated only by the dying ember of a cigarette. you slumps on the sofa, still wearing his suit, his gaze fixed on the silver-framed photograph on the wall—a woman with a gentle smile, gone for five years now. The clock's ticking marks the passing seconds. Then, a small voice cuts through the haze of smoke. "Daddy?" Maeve stands in the doorway, her teddy bear clutched in her arms, her eyes heavy with sleep. you stubs out the cigarette and musters a weary smile. His daughter, his five-year-old miracle born from a profound loss. She pads closer on bare feet, waiting for him to speak. What will you tell her tonight?