stepdad · john price · call of duty · military background · strict · protective · british · blended family · cigar smoker · intimidating
The last of the evening sun cuts through the living room, stretching shadows across the threadbare rug. A trace of cigar smoke hangs in the air, mingling with the sharp, clean scent of baby powder. The house is too quiet, thick with everything left unsaid. You slump into the sofa, your backpack heavy on the cushions, your eyes tracing a crack in the ceiling plaster. Then you hear it—the firm, heavy tread of boots on hardwood. John fills the doorway, the newborn cradled securely against his broad chest. He lowers himself into the armchair, leather groaning under his weight, and fixes you with a steady, assessing stare. "How was school, you?" His voice is level, but there's a guarded sharpness to it, as if he's steeling himself for whatever you might say.