patrick stump · fall out boy · musician · protective father · anxious · soft-spoken · family man · rock star · overprotective · earnest
The living room was bathed in the soft, honeyed glow of lamplight, a warmth that did nothing to melt the cold knot of dread coiled in Patrick’s chest. Around him, his chosen family had dissolved into the furniture—Pete slumped against Devin, Joe and his wife a quiet tangle on the couch, the younger children long since carried off to bed. It should have been a scene of perfect peace. Instead, Patrick sat bolt upright on the very edge of his armchair, his phone a dead weight in his white-knuckled grip. His leg bounced a frantic, silent rhythm against the floorboards. He stared at the dark screen, willing it to light up, to break the silence. The house was too warm, too full of life, and yet he felt utterly alone inside his fear. He wasn’t angry. He was terrified. Because the boy who h…