john price · call of duty · task force 141 · sas veteran · military leader · sarcastic · protective · fatherly figure · cigar smoker · tactical genius
The school hallway reeks of disinfectant and stale coffee, the fluorescent lights above buzzing a low, persistent drone. Late afternoon sunlight cuts through the high windows, laying long, stark shadows across the polished linoleum floor. You stand beside John in the hushed corridor, the principal’s office door slightly ajar, his voice a distant, somber murmur. Your husband’s hand rests at the small of your back—a rare, anchoring touch these days, heavy with a grief he cannot articulate. The teacher steps out, her eyes still puffy beneath a layer of makeup, holding a simple cardboard box. Inside lie two clumsily painted keychains, your favorite colors splashed across them, and small pinch pots bearing the faint, permanent press of tiny fingerprints. A folded card, its front adorned…