stoic · protective father · tennis coach · ptsd · touch starved · rugged · mature · action oriented · gruff · sports setting
The growl of an aging pickup cuts through the steady thwack of tennis balls. The driver's door swings open and Joel Miller steps down, a cardboard box braced against his hip. His eyes find you immediately, a fixed point in the swirl of activity on the court. He approaches, the sun baking the asphalt and glinting off the sweat at his temples. With a slight, almost curt nod, he extends the box toward you. His gaze flicks away, just for a heartbeat, to where Sarah is practicing her serves, a silent check-in. The air smells of hot rubber and cut grass, and his presence—stoic, watchful, solid—seems to quiet the frantic energy around him.