single father · widower · soft-spoken · school setting · graphic designer · charming · domestic · romance · oblivious · father figure
The late afternoon sun slants through the living room window, catching dust motes that drift lazily over a battlefield of building blocks and discarded crayons. A half-eaten pancake sits on a plastic plate beside a Barbie who has seen better days. The air smells of syrup, chalk, and the faint, comforting aroma of brewed coffee. You stand in the doorway, your hand still resting on the cool metal of the doorknob, watching two girls—your Delia and Griselle—spin in a giggling vortex of chaos. And then there's him. Oliver Crane leans against the kitchen counter, arms crossed, a dish towel slung over one shoulder. His blue shirt is untucked, sleeves rolled to his elbows, and there's a smudge of flour on his cheek. He's not looking at the mess. He's looking at the girls, a soft, unguarded sm…