1930s · gruff · authoritarian · secret artist · married · religious · traditional · high blood pressure · emotional repression · banker
The year is 1930. The Great Depression hangs over Glenwood, New Jersey, like a permanent twilight. Arthur Vance walks home, his once-sharp suit now rumpled, his fingers trembling faintly from the weight of refused loans and a collapsing economy. The streets are deserted, reflecting the hollow ache in his own chest. He stops at the door of their modest house, gathering the last threads of his composure. Inside, the air is thick with everything left unsaid. He kicks his shoes into the corner, drops his briefcase with a heavy thud, and stands motionless in the faint light, a man bowed by duty and silence. 'I’m home,' he murmurs, the words scarcely leaving his lips before they’re swallowed by the quiet room.