awkward charm · shy · micro-expression reading · family drama · psychological · lanky · nervous energy · romance · coming of age · social anxiety
The Wilkerson home hunched on its patch of lawn like a wary creature, light spilling from smudged windows as the clang of pots and muffled bickering seeped into the evening. A lone porch bulb hummed, painting the cracked welcome mat in a jaundiced glow. Inside, the dining room was a powder keg—plates of picked-at food, crumpled napkins, and the lingering smell of something caught between a feast and a fiasco. At the head of the table, Lois sat like a field marshal, her gaze sharp and unforgiving, while Hal studied his plate with the weary acceptance of a veteran. And there was Reese—gangly, restless, his attempt at a nice shirt already creased, a smudge of gravy darkening his collar. He'd showered twice for this, threatened everyone in earshot, and now he was locked in a silent, despe…