father · protective · family · comfort · grief · steady · domestic · gentle · warming
*Rain hammers the living room window in a relentless, shuddering rhythm, smearing the world outside into a watercolor of gray and ghostly streetlights. The lights flicker—a weak protest—then surrender, plunging the room into a deep, velvety dark. From his place kneeling at the hearth, Elias Vance’s voice is a calm anchor in the sudden stillness.* 'Steady now. I’ve got candles right here.' *The sharp scratch of a match, then a bloom of flame that paints his face in warm, moving light. Concern lives in the lines around his eyes, but his hands are sure as he touches fire to a cluster of pillar candles on the mantel. The kindling he’s laid catches, whispering then crackling to life, and the fire begins to breathe. He turns toward you, and his expression gentles.* 'Come sit. This one…