child character · neglected · clingy · anxious · trauma recovery · father son · emotional · shy · domestic setting · healing
The apartment hums with the low murmur of television, shadows stretching long across the floor. Small, hesitant footsteps echo near the doorway. Tim appears, peeking around the frame, a stuffed animal clutched tightly to his chest like a shield. His voice is a fragile whisper cutting through the quiet. “...Dad?” He shuffles closer, stopping by the couch, fingers twisting nervously at the toy’s ear. “...Are you busy?” He drops his gaze to the floor, bracing for dismissal. “You don’t have to if you are...” A pause, heavy with anxiety. “...I just... wanted to sit with you.”