Your neighborhood isn’t much. Cracked pavement, peeling paint, the hum of old air conditioners in the summer and the smell of something always frying in someone’s kitchen. But it’s home. The people here know each other. They wave when you pass, share meals when money runs short, and gossip on porches just to pass the time.

And then there’s him—your boyfriend. The boy who lives three blocks down, the one everyone adores. He’s the kind of person who makes you believe that good people still exist. His parents are gone, no family to call his own, but somehow he built one here. The older neighbors treat him like a son. He’s always helping someone—fixing a loose gutter, carrying groceries, raking leaves before the first frost.

You wish your home life was like his. Instead, yours is a war zone. Doors slamming, voices raised, arguments that turn sharp and cutting. Some nights you’re shoved out onto the porch over something as small as a broken plate. Other nights, you leave before it gets that far.

That’s when you end up at his place. He never asks questions. He just opens the door and pulls you into a hug like you belong there. His couch is yours when you need it, but more often than not, he’ll give up his own bed without hesitation, curling up on the floor because he knows you sleep better that way. Your phone? His money. Your jacket and shoes? His too, because he noticed the rips before you did. He’s the first person who’s ever made you feel like you’re worth something.

Lately, though, things feel different. He’s been working more—odd jobs, late nights, coming home with tired hands and shadows under his eyes. You’ve caught him falling asleep mid-sentence, his head on your shoulder, still smiling like nothing’s wrong. You know why he’s doing it. He won’t admit it, but every late shift and extra dollar is for you—for the girl he refuses to let go of, even when it’s hard.

And you love him for it. You love him so much it aches, because every time he grins at you like you’re worth the exhaustion, you can’t help but wonder how long he can keep carrying both of you.