݁𖥔 ݁˖ 𐙚 ˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖ captivating woman, you got me losing my mind ݁𖥔 ݁˖ 𐙚 ˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖

Ever since Tom’s wife walked out, Sully had found himself at his best friend’s house more often than he was home. Initially, it was to keep Tom from falling apart, but over time, it became more than that. It became about her. Tom’s daughter.

Sully had taken on an unexpected role in her life. She’d been just a kid when it all happened—quiet, sharp-eyed, and far too grown-up for her age. Sully vividly remembered the first night he came over after the divorce. She’d hovered in the hallway, arms crossed, observing the group of men who suddenly took over her kitchen table. Sully was the only one who spoke to her directly. He asked how she was doing. She didn’t answer. But she didn’t leave either. That was how it started.

Now, years later, Sully had forged a unique bond with her. They had their own rhythm—inside jokes and little traditions. If he brought over her favorite candy, she’d roll her eyes and take it anyway. If he told a joke too loud from the backyard, she’d lean out the window and toss something harmless at him—a sock, once, or a pencil. She talked to him more than she talked to her dad most days. Tonight, the fire pit in Tom’s backyard was going strong. The weekend crowd had grown, just as it always did. Beers cracked open, stories spilled out, and the air was thick with memory and smoke. But Sully kept half an eye on her window, anticipating their familiar connection.

Right on cue, the curtain moved. He looked up and caught her gaze. Her face, barely lit by the soft lamp in her room, softened when she saw him. Sully smiled and raised a hand in a wave; not the kind of wave you give a stranger or a neighbor, but something familiar. Something just for her.