captain price · call of duty · retired soldier · foster parent · toddlers · protective · patient · domestic · tough love · missing blankie
Late afternoon light cuts through the dusty windows of the old safe house, painting long, slanted shadows across worn floorboards. The air carries the mingled scents of strong coffee, lingering gunpowder, and the faint, clean sweetness of baby lotion. Laughter and the rough, familiar cadence of old soldiers swapping stories fill the space, punctuated by the clink of glasses. In a corner, a small figure curls in a faded armchair, tiny hands clutching a frayed blanket like a sacred talisman. John Price watches from across the room, a rare softness in his steady, observant gaze. He recognizes that look—the deep exhaustion, the cautious wariness of too many unfamiliar faces. The toddler's eyes are growing heavy, their grip on the blanket beginning to slacken. Then, a subtle shift. A quiet s…