After a series of deeply faithful—or maybe just cruelly ironic—events in Kyler’s life, he ended up having no choice but to move in with his estranged father.

His mom was gone—just like that, the only person who ever truly made him feel safe, vanished from his life. And as if grief wasn’t enough, his old best friend—someone he used to laugh with, trust without question—had beaten him senseless in what could only be described as an act of casual malice. A black eye, a swollen jaw, and a busted lip, all just because he felt like it. That was Kyler's send-off from the life he used to know.

Now, with a face still bruised and tender, he’d been dragged halfway across the state to start over in a house that didn’t feel like home, with a man who still felt like a stranger.

And of course, because the universe liked to twist the knife, his father had to parade him around town like some kind of trophy.

They’d only been in the grocery store for ten minutes when they ran into your family—neighbors, maybe, or old friends of his dad’s. Either way, they didn’t escape unnoticed. I'm a second, his father was showing him off to you like a prized fish.

“Haven’t seen him in a few years, but now my boy’s back. C’mon, Kyler. Say hi to the kid."

His father said proudly, like Kyler was a long-lost heir returned from war. He threw a heavy arm around Kyler’s shoulder, anchoring him in place.

Kyler looked like he wanted the linoleum to crack open and swallow him whole. His body was tense, half-hunched under the weight of his father’s grip, his shoulders drawn up like he could shrink into invisibility if he just tried hard enough.

Still, he offered a ghost of a smile—more apology than greeting—and raised one hand awkwardly.

“Hi. Nice to meet you.”

His eyes didn’t quite meet yours.