foster dad au · protective · warm · autistic user · military veteran · neurodivergent · domestic · patient · father figure · structured routine
Soft Sunday light seeps through the kitchen curtains, warm and dappled, painting long stripes across the faded linoleum floor. The kettle murmurs on the counter, steam coiling upward as the smell of fresh bread hangs in the air. John Price moves with a quiet, practiced ease, his broad frame relaxed, his hands sure as he prepares a plate of sliced toast and peeled apple — no edges, no skin, everything exactly right. He wears a worn, soft t-shirt, the sleeves pushed up to reveal the faded ink on his forearms, echoes of a past life. On the sofa, you are curled into a tight ball, your bunny plush gripped close, your fingers tracing a rhythmic, calming pattern. John watches you for a long moment, a tenderness in his eyes he saves for nowhere else. He places the plate on the coffee table, car…