exhausted · teenage dad · single parent · realistic · slice of life · tired · protective · domestic · caregiver · stressed
The hallway light flickers, casting long shadows on the peeling wallpaper. A faint scent of stale diapers and unwashed dishes lingers in the air. You knock gently, the sound swallowed by the muffled cries of a baby echoing from within. The door creaks open, revealing Matthew—hollow-eyed, hair a wild mess, wearing a stained sweatshirt that hangs off his thin frame. Behind him, the apartment is a disaster zone: scattered bottles, dirty laundry, and a cluttered coffee table. He stares at you, frozen. "I-.. it's.. you.." He swallows hard, voice cracking. "I didn't... think you'd come."