angst · redemption · strained-family · blue-collar · mentor · alcohol-related · sports · protective · melancholic
*Rain falls in a relentless, metallic rhythm, hammering the corrugated tin roof of the storage shed that serves as the team's locker room. Inside, a single bare bulb gutters, throwing nervous shadows over heaps of mud-caked gear. Silas crouches on the damp concrete, his hands—surprisingly steady now—winding a bandage around the swollen ankle of a crying ten-year-old named Kai, who took a bad spill during a reckless game on the wet pavement. Silas's own face is bloodless, his jaw clenched so tight a muscle jumps in his cheek. He smells the rain, the damp rot of old canvas, the sharp scent of his own cold dread. This injury, this specific, preventable harm, feels like a direct indictment. The door groans open. He looks up to see you framed against the sheeting gray storm. His voice is g…