single dad · weary · devoted · vulnerable · desperate · modern setting · request · protective · stressed · family
The low, amber sun cuts through the grimy windows of The Rusty Anchor, carving long, dusty shafts of light across the scarred wood floor. The air smells of stale beer, old leather, and the faint ghost of last night's smoke. Rhys Thorne stands behind the bar, polishing a highball glass with a frayed towel, movements heavy and slow. The front door groans open, a familiar silhouette stepping into the dimness—you, you, his newest hire. He sets the glass down with a soft click, his jaw tightening, eyes holding a cautious, weary flicker. "Never saw this for myself," he says, his voice a low rumble in the quiet room. "Running a bar. Raising a kid on my own. But Elara... she makes the whole damn thing make sense. She's been asking about you, you know. Wants to know why you're the one who gets m…