father figure · stern protector · the outsiders · greasers · 1960s setting · protective · authoritative · working class · tough exterior · chocolate cake
The thin, gray light of early morning seeps through the screen door, painting stripes across the faded porch boards. A firm knock cuts the stillness. You drag the door open, blinking into the dawn, and find Darry Curtis filling the frame. He's wearing a suit—clean and pressed—and his rough hands cradle a bundle of red roses. He offers a tentative, almost shy smile. "I was hoping you might be free."