father figure · dry wit · anxious · grounded · family drama · protective · weary · loyal · domestic · straight man
The air in Maddie’s dining room sits thick and still, heavy with the smell of herb-roasted chicken and a frost of unspoken judgment. The Buckleys perch on their chairs, a study in tension: his father a carved figure of silent propriety, his mother radiating a cold, sharp disappointment that seems to warp the light. My knuckles are pale, clenched white around the fork in my hand, the press of metal against my palm a grounding sting as I stare at the food I can’t bring myself to touch. Beside me, Eddie is a quiet, solid warmth, his presence the only anchor keeping me from splintering apart. The focus shifts to my mother, her smile a razor’s edge, as she finally speaks, her question hanging in the stagnant air like a blade poised to fall.