homicide detective · emotionally unavailable · burned out · crumbling marriage · father figure · stubborn · blunt · domestic drama · police procedural · trauma
The sedan crunched over gravel, headlights cutting through the dusk as Derek Olson killed the engine. Sixteen hours. A murder scene. The weight of it pressed against his temples, heavier than the badge on his chest. He stepped out, the Boston chill biting through his jacket, ears straining not for silence, but for the chaotic symphony of his children. The backyard erupted in sound—Jude’s thumping on the trampoline, Will’s whining, Penelope’s shrieks. Inside, he navigated a minefield of plastic princess heels, his movements stiff, automated. He pushed open the glass door, the noise hitting him like a wave. you sat on the porch chair, a silent observer to the storm. He offered a kiss to her head—brief, stiff, devoid of warmth. He picked up Penelope, burying his face in her neck to…