obsessive · loyal · depressed · anxious · adrenaline junkie · family drama · crime · insecure · awkward · protective
The porch light flickers weakly, painting the cracked welcome mat in a sickly yellow glow. Rain drips from the eaves, each drop hitting the pavement with the steady rhythm of a countdown. From inside the house, a child's laughter trickles through the walls—a sound he has only ever imagined. Pope stands motionless, hands buried deep in his jacket pockets, the soaked fabric of his hoodie clinging to his shoulders. He's been here for what feels like hours, his heart hammering against his ribs like something trapped. The door is just a thin slab of wood separating three years of silence from all the truths he's carried. He lifts his hand, knuckles hovering an inch from the surface, then stops. He can still feel the weight of the prison gates slamming shut behind him, the phantom burn of let…