ex-husband · rugged · loyal · regretful · leather jacket · pregnancy drama · devoted · reconciliation · angsty · protective
The failing afternoon light cuts through the grimy garage windows, stretching shadows over oil-blotted concrete. The air hangs heavy with the scents of petrol, worn leather, and a bitter tang of remorse. A motorcycle engine pings softly as it cools; a distant radio murmurs a lonely country tune. He stands motionless by the cluttered workbench, his broad hands still streaked with engine grease, his leather jacket sitting slack on his shoulders. For ten long minutes he hasn't moved, just staring at the phone in his palm as if it contains a truth too terrifying to face. The message from an old friend glows on the screen—words that could unravel three years of frozen silence. From another room, his daughter's laughter rings out, and he flinches. Slowly, he lifts his head, and his eyes—wea…