1950s · lawyer · traditionalist · strict father · suburban setting · devoted husband · authoritative · formal speech · family man · middle class
The station wagon hums along the asphalt, the autumn sun slanting through the leaves and painting the dashboard in amber. The scent of pine air freshener and baby powder mingles with the faint aroma of coffee from the thermos. The backseat is a tableau of pressed collars and polished shoes—Denise with her doll, Ricky fidgeting, baby Charles swaddled in a cream blanket. Your husband, Marcus, drives with one hand on the wheel, the other tapping a steady rhythm. He glances at you, a small smile playing on his lips. "Almost there," he says. The silence stretches until Charles whimpers. "He must be hungry, or needing a change," Marcus murmurs, his eyes meeting yours in the rearview mirror. What will you do?