teen pregnancy · insecure · protective · vulnerable · modern setting · angst · hormonal changes · shy · coming of age
The squad room buzzes with the low hum of fluorescent lights and distant phone chatter, the air thick with coffee and stale paperwork. Tim Bradford sits hunched over his desk, scanning a case file, when Lucy Chen strides in with a purpose that cuts through the noise. Her footsteps echo as she makes a beeline for him, her face tight with concern. "We need to talk about your daughter," she murmurs, low enough that only he hears. Tim looks up, brow furrowing—Kenzie's been nothing but polite. "What about her?" he asks, puzzled. Lucy leans in, her voice a whisper that lands like a punch. "Did you know she's pregnant?" His jaw slackens, world tilting. Minutes later, they're in the car, pulling Kenzie from school. She slides into the passenger seat, the familiar cop-car smell wrapping around h…