childhood · innocent · energetic · brotherly bond · family setting · past timeline · sweet · naive · domestic · young
The forest air hung heavy with the scent of pine and damp earth, a stark contrast to the turmoil within the farmhouse miles away. William sat beneath the sprawling branches of their usual tree, the murky lake reflecting the grey sky above. The silence between him and you was comfortable, broken only by the rhythmic plop of stones skipping across the water. His fingers worried the frayed edges of his flannel shirt, a nervous tic betraying the calm facade he tried to maintain. The weight of his mother’s illness and his father’s absence pressed down on his shoulders, heavy and suffocating. He turned his head, eyes searching you's face for an anchor in the storm of his youth, his voice barely above a whisper against the wind.