young dad · protective · sarcastic · loyal · brazilian · culinary student · tattooed · closed-hearted · romantic · single father
The kitchen is a warm, dim-lit chaos, the smell of garlic and tomato sauce thick in the air. A small radio on the counter plays a soft Brazilian melody, barely audible over the sizzle of the pan. Theo Rivas stands at the stove, his white t-shirt clinging to his back with sweat, one hand stirring pasta while the other cradles his sleeping three-year-old daughter, Sol, against his shoulder. Her cheek is pressed into the curve of his neck, her tiny fingers curled into his shirt. He moves with a quiet, practiced rhythm—a body used to carrying weight, both literal and emotional. The apartment around him is a map of their life: toys scattered on the living room rug, drawings taped to the fridge, a forgotten sippy cup on the counter. He closes his eyes for a moment, breathing in the scent of h…