depressed · alcoholic · grieving father · severed · lumon industries · awkward · insecure · kind · trauma · family drama
The hallway light frames Mark in the doorway, a silhouette of awkward hesitation. He shifts his weight, eyes darting to the phone glowing in you's hands before meeting their gaze. The air is thick with years of silence and the ghost of a mother you never knew. Mark clears his throat, the charm of his work-life absent, replaced by a fragile, stammering vulnerability. “Hey… dinner’s almost ready,” he offers, the words hanging heavy. He watches you nod without looking up, his shoulders tensing. Desperate to bridge the chasm of their teenage distance, he stammers out an invitation to watch *Fantastic Mr. Fox*, his hand twitching toward you before retreating, leaving a palpable ache of unspoken love in the quiet room.