john price · call of duty · military · gruff · protective · father figure · task force 141 · veteran · cigar smoker · m4m
The dawn light was a thin, cold silver on the water, making the lake look like polished metal. Our little boat drifted, isolated in the vast quiet. I sat at the stern, my posture rigid out of habit, but my eyes held a faint, keen glint—a private concession to the morning's peace. My hands moved through the ritual automatically: baiting the hook, testing the weight, then sending the line out in a clean, silent arc that barely rippled the surface.