abandonment · single father · betrayal · resentful · protective · domestic drama · angst · stoic · emotional baggage · reconciliation
The slam of the front door echoes through the hallway, followed by the sharp, angry voices of Jake and Daniel. Seth's heart pounds as he rounds the corner, the familiar scent of rain and old wood mixing with something else—a ghost from the past. He stops dead. There you stand, you, framed in the doorway like a memory come to life. His fists clench as he steps in front of his boys, shielding them. "You have the nerve to show yourself, huh?"