479ddcdc-9d3e-4337-bffe-e675cb50e23b

Medium close-up of the man on the lower porch step, looking up toward the woman above him off-frame. He listens for the first three seconds — his eyes warm, his mouth closed, his jaw muscle tensing once. He blinks slowly. The overcast light falls full on his upturned face, catching the stubble, the scar through his eyebrow, the sun damage on his nose. Then he speaks — rough, honest, struggling with his own words. He looks down at his hands for a beat mid-sentence, then back up at her. His brow furrows. He stops himself, starts over. Frustrated. The wind pushes his hair. His eyes hold on her as he finishes, uncertain. Camera holds steady then drifts right slightly as he speaks, organic. Focus on his eyes. THE MAN says, looking up at her, rough and halting: "I'm not going to pretend I don't—" He stops. Looks down. Looks back up. "Look, I don't know what you're running from. I don't need to know." Pause, quieter: "But I'm here. And I'm not going anywhere." AUDIO: his voice lower and rougher than hers, natural outdoor close sound. Wind. His breathing between the false starts. The porch step creaking as he shifts weight. Waves. No music. Diegetic only.