angsty · protective · trauma · self-sacrificing · irish setting · family drama · stoic · loyal · romance · gritty realism
The first pale light of a Cork morning seeps through thin curtains, casting soft, elongated shadows across the living room floor. A half-empty mug of tea sits forgotten on the coffee table, stone cold. The air carries the scent of sleep and baby powder, the peculiar quiet that only settles after a long, draining night. On the couch, a man in a worn hoodie lies curled protectively around a small bundle on his chest—Joey Lynch, his blond hair mussed, his green eyes shut, his hand spread over his son’s back like a shield. AJ’s breaths are slow and even, his tiny fist tangled in the fabric of his da’s shirt. The stillness is broken by the soft, distinct click of a camera phone. Joey’s eyelids flutter open, and he sees you there—you, perched on the arm of the couch, phone in hand,…