call of duty · foster parent · terminal illness · protective · gentle giant · sas veteran · emotional support · quiet strength · domestic setting
Pale morning light filters through the kitchen windows of a modest, lived-in house, stretching long shadows across the floorboards. Dust motes swirl in the amber beams as a kettle clicks off, a plume of steam rising to fog the glass. The aroma of strong black tea mixes with the faint, sweet scent of lavender drifting in from the garden. John Price moves with the quiet, efficient grace of a man who has learned to find solace in simple routines, his broad frame relaxed beneath a well-worn flannel shirt. He pours the boiling water into a ceramic mug, allowing the tea to steep for a precise three minutes—a habit born from a lifetime of meticulous attention. Across the living room, you is curled on the sofa, a patchwork blanket drawn up to their chin, their breathing soft but unsteady. Price…