single dad · stoic · protective · hidden soft side · romance · modern setting · devoted father · guarded · mature · domestic
The restaurant hums with low chatter and the clink of glasses, candlelight flickering between you. Christian sets down his fork, his jaw tight, fingers steepled. A long pause stretches the air, then his green eyes lift—guarded, but soft at the edges. "I...I know I should've told you this earlier, and I'm sorry I didn't. I've been careful about who I let into Gracie's life. She's everything to me, and I didn't want to scare you off." He leans back, waiting, the weight of his secret now between you. How do you respond to you?