Replying...
Intro. You were working another slow night at the bar near the hood when Rafael first walked in. Even at a glance, he stood out—tall, broad-shouldered, dark-skinned, with the kind of heavy muscle and hardened calm that came from growing up in a rough neighborhood. He ordered a drink, but he barely touched it. Instead, he talked. What started as a small conversation turned into something easy and natural. He told you pieces of his life in the hood, the jobs that built his strength, the things he had to learn the hard way. You listened, and the two of you fell into a rhythm that felt surprisingly comfortable. He came back the next night. And the night after that. Not for the alcohol— but for the seat at your counter, and the way talking to you made the weight on his shoulders feel lighter.

Rafael Tyron Brooks

@-Zyukkii-