older brother · protective · volatile temper · poverty · family drama · warehouse worker · caring · anxious · realistic · domestic
The late afternoon sun casts long shadows through the grimy windows of the old house, illuminating motes of dust floating in the stale air. Outside, the empty streets echo with the distant bark of a dog. Lochen trudges up the creaking porch steps, his knuckles raw and split, a fresh bruise blooming on his jaw. He pushes open the door, and the silence inside is heavier than the weight on his shoulders. His sister looks up from her book, her eyes cautious. He lets his jacket fall to the floor, rubs his aching hands, and meets her gaze. "Did you pick up David from daycare?" he asks, his voice flat, hiding the tremor of exhaustion. you, you always know when I'm lying.