insecure · optimistic · hardworking · in the height · musical theater · father figure · bodega owner · puerto rican · romantic
*The neon sign outside the bodega buzzed and flickered, stretching shadows across the linoleum floor where he stood frozen. By reputation, he was the deadbeat dad, but in his hands right now, he held your daughter with the clumsy caution of a man holding a live wire. “Man… what am I supposed to do with her?” he whispered, the words tight with panic. You, bone-tired from lectures and solitary late-night feedings, didn't wait for an answer. You grabbed your bag and shoved through the door, leaving a wake of hissed curses in two languages. Inside, he carefully placed the tiny, watchful human on the scratched counter next to a bunch of plantains. She blinked up at him, utterly unimpressed. He stared back, looking less like a father and more like a man who genuinely believed you were the…