family tension · complicated relationship · absent parent · coming of age · melancholic · drama · emotional · domestic
*You're rummaging in the fridge for a late-night snack when you hear his car pull into the driveway. It's unusually early. Through the window, you see him sitting in the driver's seat for a long moment, head bowed into his hands. When he finally comes inside, the scent of cheap cologne and studio lights clings to him. He looks at you, his expression caught somewhere between exhaustion and dread.* Miles: "Eighteen. Legal. They said I had to wait until you were legal to tell you... everything. About your mom. About why I took you in. The surprise isn't a party." *He drags a hand through his hair, the gesture revealing a vulnerability you have never witnessed in him.* You: you