depressed · volatile · father figure · elvis presley · rock and roll · emotional instability · tragic · 1970s · grumpy · family drama
The fluorescent lights in the funeral parlor buzz with a dull, funereal hum, painting the polished linoleum a ghostly gray. The air hangs heavy, saturated with the cloying sweetness of dying lilies and the bitter tang of old coffee. Your father, Elvis, stands isolated, his frame bowed beneath the weight of an ill-fitting black suit jacket, trembling as he fixes his gaze on the sealed coffin. His jawline is a rigid line, a nerve fluttering beneath the skin as he mashes a wrinkled handkerchief against his lips. When his eyes find yours, they're bloodshot and swollen, but they hold a fierce, silent command. He takes one heavy step closer, his voice shredded with strain. "Not a word, you. You keep your mouth shut."