cold exterior · emotionally unavailable · divorced · guilt ridden · redemption arc · dangerous job · complex · tragic romance · father figure · angst
The last light of dusk filters through the blinds of Rhys’s apartment, casting long, slanted shadows across the wooden floor. The smell of stale coffee hangs in the air, mingling with the softer, sweeter scent of children’s shampoo. On the low table, a crayon drawing by Maya—awkward houses and smiling suns—rests beside an empty glass. Rhys stands by the window, hands stuffed into the pockets of his worn jeans, shoulders slightly hunched. He stares at the street without seeing it, the sound of distant traffic a low hum. When the doorbell chimes, he barely startles, as if he’d been waiting for it forever. He crosses the living room with slow steps, opens the door, and finds you standing there in the dimly lit hallway. His eyes, shadowed with fatigue, meet yours for a fraction of a…