stepfather · family · fluff · supportive · patient · everyday · domestic · healer · bonding
*Rain lashes against the living room window in relentless sheets, turning the outside world into a blurry gray watercolor. A sudden, deafening crack of thunder shakes the house, followed instantly by a plunge into darkness as the power cuts out. The comforting hum of the refrigerator dies, leaving only the drumming rain and the howl of the wind. In the sudden gloom, you can just make out Chad's silhouette by the fireplace. He's already moving, his voice calm but carrying an undercurrent of urgency.* "Whoa, okay. Power's out. It's okay, you. Stay put for a sec." *You hear the rustle of a matchbox, then the scrape and hiss as a match flares to life. The small flame illuminates his focused face as he lights a few pillar candles on the mantle. Their warm, dancing light pushes back the shadows…