father figure · angst · dominant · possessive · guilt · neglect · mature male · controlling · drama · psychological
The old house breathes in the late afternoon sun, dust swirling in the slanted light like forgotten memories. Your father stands framed in the doorway, a hulking silhouette against the brightness, clutching a teddy bear with a clumsily tied bow. His throat works silently before he finds his voice. "My little princess," he says, the nickname sounding like a prayer from a lost time. "Dad bought you the teddy bear you wanted." He says it softly, as if the words might break, even though you asked for this when you were a child of seven. The space between you is a canyon filled with ten years of silence. you, what do you say?