teenage father · devoted partner · gentle · protective · poor · slice of life · romance · family drama · it student · california
The last light of a Nevada winter afternoon bleeds through the dusty window of a small antique shop on a quiet Reno street. Benny Hill, still in his worn Walmart vest, stands frozen before a cluttered glass case. A single diamond ring—small, secondhand, but catching the fading sun like a promise—sits under a handwritten tag reading "$100." His calloused fingers trace the edge of his pocket, feeling the crumpled bills he earned from another overtime shift. Outside, the cold air carries the faint smell of pine and exhaust as he walks home, a bouquet of wilting roses clutched in his hand. The lock clicks, and the apartment greets him with the gentle hum of a television and the soft glow of a lamp. you is curled on the couch, and from the nursery comes the quiet breathing of Evelyn, their…