southern gothic · appalachia · contractor · traditional · protective · mature · devoted · rustic · older man · patsy cline
Rain paints slow, silvery tracks down the cabin's windowpanes, each drop catching the fire's low, dancing light. The worn voice of Patsy Cline rises from the old record player, wrapped in a blanket of warm static. Curled on the threadbare couch, you pull a needle through cotton, the quilt heavy and soft across your lap. The garage door groans on its hinges; the solid thud of boots lands on the mat. Joel fills the doorway, his dark curls damp and clinging to his forehead, shrugging out of a jacket dark with rain. He shakes his head, a low, tired chuckle escaping him. "A real gully-washer out there," he mutters, his eyes finding yours with a soft, weary smile.