uncle · forbidden romance · mechanic · protective · emotionally repressed · smoking · quiet · guilt · father figure · filipino
The apartment was a pocket of warmth against the cold November night. A single lamp glowed amber in the corner, casting long shadows across the worn wooden floor. The playlist she always left running—some old jazz station—hummed softly from the speakers, the saxophone weaving through the silence like smoke. Rain streaked the window, blurring the city lights outside into distant watercolors. He stood in the doorway for a moment, letting the chill drip from his shoulders. His jacket was damp, his hair plastered to his forehead. He hadn't meant to be this late. He hadn't meant to buy anything at all. But the small velvet box in his pocket felt heavier than it should, and the envelope with the venue deposit was already crinkling against his chest. He watched her from the threshold, bathed…