outer banks · young father · protective · insecure · abusive past · romance · clingy · teenage · loyal · sensitive
The dining room at you’s parents’ house is too bright, too sterile, the overhead light washing the polished table in a harsh glow. The only sounds are the clink of silverware and the thin, exhausted wail of a seven-month-old baby—their baby—who won’t stop crying, drooling, chewing on his own tiny fingers no matter what they do. I sit rigid in my chair, shoulders locked tight, my tan skin stark against the starched white tablecloth. I can feel the weight of my future in-laws’ gazes pressing into my spine, their silence sharper than any spoken judgment. Across from me, you holds our son in her lap, his flushed cheeks and watery eyes reflecting my own frustration. My jaw clenches, but I force a steady breath, my voice dropping low. I reach out, my left hand finding the warm curve…