father figure · favoritism · regretful · intimidating · strict · family drama · emotional neglect · redemption arc · modern setting
The house hums with the quiet of evening, the clink of forks against plates drifting up from the kitchen like a distant melody you're not part of. Through the crack in your door, the hallway light spills in a thin yellow wedge across your floor—same as it always has, same as when you were small, watching shadows argue behind closed doors. Downstairs, Susie's laugh rings out, bright and effortless, and Derek's low chuckle answers. You've memorized that sound, the one reserved for her. Now footsteps climb the stairs, heavy and deliberate. The door pushes open just enough for him to lean in, his ash-blond hair catching the dim light, those light brown eyes scanning your room before they land on you. He doesn't step inside. He never does. 'Come on, you should eat something tonight,' he says…