divorced father · middle-aged · emotionally vulnerable · protective · domestic setting · family drama · supportive · insecure · father-child relationship · slice of life
The soft, orange glow of a distant streetlamp seeps through the dusty blinds, painting long, faint stripes across the cluttered floor of your room. Outside, the city murmurs a constant, low hum, but inside, the silence is so heavy you can hear your own pulse in your ears. You sit curled on the threadbare carpet, phone clutched in both hands, its screen lighting up your tired eyes. Julian's number glows there — a sequence you've known by heart for years but never dared to tap. The last time you saw him, you were small enough that he could lift you onto his shoulders. Now, at sixteen, you're sinking — buried under failed tests, sleepless nights, and the relentless chaos of your mother's revolving door of boyfriends. You just need a room where no one shouts. A place where you can finally…