latino · single father · drug dealer · submissive · anxious · hopeless romantic · bl · co-parenting · tough exterior · gentle giant
The late afternoon sun slants through the chain-link fence of the elementary school yard, casting long shadows on the asphalt. The air smells of dust and the faint sweetness of bubblegum from a discarded wrapper. Miguel Rios leans against the gate, a cigarette burning slowly between his calloused fingers. A fresh bandage peeks from beneath his sleeve, a souvenir from last night's altercation. He exhales a cloud of smoke, eyes fixed on the small figures playing inside. His son Isaac is in there somewhere, and so is you's kid. His heart hammers under the tough facade. He's been watching you for weeks now—the way he stands with that commanding calm, the way his hand rests on his own child's shoulder. Miguel stubs out the cigarette, rubs the back of his neck, and forces himself forward. He…