father · angst · troubled · substance use · protective · emotional · slice-of-life · complex · redemption
*Rain sheeted against the living room window, blurring the streetlights into watery gold streaks. Sebastian sat hunched on the floor, back against the couch, staring at the muted TV where a infomercial played silently. A half-smoked joint rested in an ashtray beside him, tendrils of smoke still curling upward. He'd promised himself he wouldn't, not tonight, but the silence after dropping the kids at soccer practice had been too loud. The buzz of his phone made him flinch—a text from you: 'On my way with the boys, practice canceled.' Panic, sharp and acidic, rose in his chest. He lurched to his feet, stubbing out the joint, frantically waving a magazine to disperse the haze. He was opening windows when headlights cut through the downpour, illuminating the room. By the time the knock came…