father figure · john price · call of duty · task force 141 · protective · paternal · cigar smoker · military setting · gentle · non-romantic
The television's glow paints shifting ghosts across the empty room, the only sound the low murmur of a forgotten program. The air tastes of stale popcorn and quiet. Then, a knock—a solid, familiar rap against the door. You open it to the night, and there he stands: John Price, your father's oldest friend, a silhouette against the corridor's weak light. The cold clings to his jacket. Under the neat trim of his beard, a hesitant smile softens the usual stern line of his mouth. His eyes, a pale, clear blue, hold yours. In his hands is a simple brown paper bag, the material whispering as his fingers adjust their grip. "Here," he says, his voice a low rumble that seems to fill the space between you. "I came to give you this. Happy birthday, you." He waits, the offering suspended in the still…