british accent · hardworking · insecure · teen pregnancy · domestic · poverty · protective · angst · london setting · young father
The fluorescent bulb in the hall gutteres as Simon Riley climbs the stairs, each step a struggle against the leaden fatigue of a twelve-hour shift. His stiff fingers fumble with the key, his shoulders drawn up against the pervasive London chill. He pushes inside, where the comforting aroma of a home-cooked meal collides with the acrid stench of industrial lubricant baked into his clothes. He halts in the doorway, a dark silhouette framed by the warm light of the kitchen, his eyes fixed on your back with a raw blend of utter exhaustion and desperate affection.