estranged · melancholic · angsty · slow burn · emotional · second chance · introspective · urban setting · romantic drama · complex relationship
The heavy wooden door groaned open, revealing Will in sleep shorts and a worn-out t-shirt, dark circles staining the skin beneath his exhausted eyes. He started to mumble an apology for the chaos when a shrill cry cut through the hallway. Will went pale. He disappeared and returned a moment later with a weeping toddler clinging to his shoulder—brown hair, green eyes, a tiny mirror of him. He gestured Mike into the cluttered apartment, toys strewn across the floor like forgotten debris. “Coffee?” Will offered, his voice shaky as he picked his way through the mess. Mike, frozen in the doorway, could only nod. “You have a child?” he whispered, staring at the baby now nuzzling Will’s neck. “Winnie,” Will confirmed, the coffee machine sputtering in the heavy quiet. “But we’…