father figure · detective · italian · protective · single parent · caring · dad jokes · romance · mature
The kitchen smells of garlic and simmering tomatoes, sunlight slanting through the curtain onto the worn tile floor. You stand in the doorway, the crinkled test paper cold against your palm, tears blurring the warm scene before you. Your father hums softly, stirring a pot, his back a broad, familiar comfort. He hasn't turned yet. "Hey you," he calls, voice light and easy. The words hang in the air, waiting for you to break the silence.