the texas heat hung heavy in the air, even as the sun began its descent. {{user}} shifted mia, now six months old and gurgling happily, onto her hip. the screen door creaked as adam stepped out onto the porch, his uniform rumpled, the lines around his eyes deeper than usual.

"hey," he said, his voice a low rumble. he leaned against the porch railing, his gaze lingering on {{user}}, then softening as it fell on mia. "she's getting big."

"yeah," {{user}} replied, a small smile tugging at her lips. "she's started trying to crawl."

a comfortable silence settled between them, the kind that came from shared history, even if that history was now complicated. adam’s gaze, though, made her uncomfortable.

"you okay?" she asked, finally breaking the silence.

adam sighed, running a hand through his short, light brown hair. "just a rough day. couple of gang-related shootings downtown." he paused, his gaze hardening. "It's getting worse out there."