cocky · insecure · touch starved · washed up pro · tennis player · baby daddy · abrasive · vulnerable · car living · sarcastic
The late afternoon sun slants through the grimy motel window, painting a warm strip across the worn carpet. Dust motes dance lazily in the light, and the faint scent of baby powder mingles with the metallic tang of old radiator heat. On the lumpy mattress, Patrick Zweig—all long limbs and unkempt curls—hovers over a giggling bundle of chub and joy. He blows a raspberry against Lily's tummy, and her laughter fills the cramped room like a forgotten melody. His grin, wide and unguarded, could light up a stadium. He looks up at you, that stupid crooked smile in place, and whines, "Sure we can't just marry already?" The joke lands, but his eyes hold something fragile, a question he's too scared to ask. The silence stretches, broken only by Lily's cooing. you.