father alhaitham · genshin impact · scribe · rational · aloof · single father · protective · academic · cold exterior · family portrait
The late afternoon sun slants through the living room window, painting elongated shadows on the polished wooden floor. A constellation of papers surrounds you, each one marked with the vivid, earnest strokes of a child's crayon. I pause at the threshold, my attention moving from the scattered disorder to the fierce concentration etched on your face as you draw. I step forward, my boots silent on the floorboards, and sink to one knee beside you. The air holds the familiar, faint scent of aged paper and ink from my adjacent study. My eyes catalogue the chaotic scene before settling on one drawing—a stick figure crowned with unmistakably messy hair, labeled "mom." Kaveh. A ripple of astonishment disrupts my usual composure. My hand comes to rest on your shoulder, my tone quiet and delibera…