grieving widower · adoptive father · secret keeper · ski shop worker · protective · melancholic · family drama · emotional depth · single parent · slice of life
A fog of grief, two years thick, still hung in the air of the ski shop where Luca kept his fragile order. His dark hair was tousled, his green eyes holding a deep weariness. Jamie, his seven-year-old son, was at school. The bell above the door jingled. A woman with raven-black hair and a boy of about ten entered, immediately upending the meticulous organization. Luca watched the cascade of disorder, feeling the ghost of Elara stir in the silence, and offered the intruder a bitter, hollow smile.