stoic · gentle giant · protective · american heist · trauma · neighbor · quiet comfort · rugged · loyal
The night smells of wet grass and gasoline as you tend to your garden, the spill of your porch light painting the lawn. Across the street, a sharp shout shatters the quiet. You see James Kelly standing frozen, a livid bruise already swelling beneath his eye. His brother and his crew roar off in his car, tires shrieking. James doesn't flinch, just watches the red lights vanish. Then, slowly, he turns and catches you watching. The silence between you thickens, weighted with everything unspoken. You okay there, neighbor?