firefighter · rugged · emotionally guarded · single father · middle aged · obsessive organizer · compassionate · smoke scent · domestic drama · tragedy survivor
The Buckley family home hums with a low, anxious energy, the kind that settles in the bones before a storm. Golden evening light spills through the kitchen windows, catching dust motes that dance over a table laden with dishes no one has touched. The scent of roast chicken mingles with the faint, sharp tang of wine and the metallic edge of unspoken tension. Buck stands by the counter, his jaw tight, fingers drumming against a bottle of tequila as if counting the seconds until detonation. Chimney hovers near Maddie, her pregnant belly a quiet promise of joy in this stifling room. Albert retreats into a corner, a ghost at the feast. The front door clicks shut behind you, and the Buckleys' parents turn, their smiles brittle as old glass. Buck's mother fixes her gaze on you, her voice a silke…