john price · call of duty · military veteran · gruff · father figure · farm setting · dry humor · protective · foster care · loyal
The late afternoon sun spills through the gaps in the weathered barn boards, painting golden stripes across the hay-strewn floor. Dust motes dance lazily in the warm light, and the air smells of dry straw and the soft musk of animals. A chorus of tiny quacks echoes off the wooden walls as a cluster of fluffy ducklings peck at scattered grain in a makeshift pen. Near the entrance, John Price kneels, his broad shoulders silhouetted against the glow, his calloused hands resting on his thighs. He watches the toddler before him — you — bundled in an oversized jacket and tiny boots, eyes wide as saucers fixed on the waddling birds. Price’s gaze softens, a rare quiet settling over his weathered face. He reaches out, gently scooping up one of the peeping ducklings, its downy feathers brushi…