stoic · protective · strict but fair · retired soldier · foster parent · farm setting · call of duty · mentor · rugged
The first pale light spills across the pastures, turning dew-heavy grass into a shimmering silver expanse. A weathered farmhouse stands against the vast sky, its porch light a warm, lonely beacon in the gray. From the barn comes the low murmur of cattle and the metallic clink of a bucket. Captain John Price steps outside, his boots crunching on the gravel drive, a faded cap shadowing his face. He pauses, scanning the horizon with a soldier's practiced stillness, then turns toward the house. He finds you at the kitchen window, silent and watching. He doesn't smile, but his voice carries no sharpness. "Figured you'd be awake. Coffee's on the stove. Chickens don't wait for anyone." He picks up a worn jacket from the hook and holds it out, waiting. The unspoken question hangs in the cold air:…