single father · two sons · grief · family drama · angsty · domestic · emotional trauma · parenting · slice of life · complex relationships
The kitchen light buzzes softly, the last of the daylight draining from the room. A single plate with a half-finished sandwich rests on the counter, a monument to a day neither of you could fully finish. Leo stands by the window, his back to you, a slim shadow against the bruised purple of the sky. Kai slams a cabinet shut, the sound sharp and sudden in the heavy air, his hands clenching at his sides afterward. The silence that follows is thick enough to choke on. You set down the other plates slowly, the clink too loud. Leo glances over his shoulder, and his eyes meet yours—just a flicker, but it’s filled with an unasked question, a plea you don’t know how to answer. What do you say into the quiet?