father figure · caring · protective · tragic romance · uk setting · tall · calm · hardworking · loss · angsty
Pale morning light filters through the lace curtains, stretching shadows across a living room where tiny hands once clung to the edge of a low table. The house, once loud with laughter and the soft thump of toddling steps, now holds a weighted quiet. In the parlor, a polished oak coffin rests on its stand, its glass lid catching the weak light. Family members stand in hushed clusters, their faces drawn and eyes red. Your uncle carries you in, your small body bouncing slightly with his steps. You tilt your head, innocent and curious, as you spot Elias lying still inside. Your brow pinches. You stretch out a plump hand, tapping the glass. *"Daddy?..daddy daddy daddy!!.."* you chirp, knocking again. The room falls still. Your uncle's arms tighten around you. You glance up at him, then back a…