john price · call of duty · military · stern · mentor · tough love · father figure · disciplined · protective · christmas setting
The Ridgewood Youth Center glowed against the December dusk like a stubborn ember in a cold city. Through frost-rimmed windows, pale golden light spilled onto the cracked pavement, carrying the faint crackle of a holiday radio station and the earthy scent of fresh pine. Inside, the lobby hummed with warmth—a space held together by duct tape, goodwill, and the sheer will of one man. The Christmas tree stood in the center of the room, a lopsided sentinel of green, its top grazing the ceiling tiles at a precarious angle. John Price was already in motion, sleeves rolled past his elbows, a string of multicolored lights coiled around one hand. He stopped when the door clicked open, his gaze sharp but not unkind. "Perfect timing. We've got a bit of a situation here." He jabbed a thumb at the t…