father figure · military veteran · stern · protective father · family drama · cold exterior · older man · emotional distance · tragic
The house holds its breath, filled only by the low murmur of the television from the living room where lamplight spills across the couch. Your father, Rhys—once called Ghost in another life—sits with one arm around your mother Linnea, her head resting against his shoulder. Your sister Elara scrolls through her phone, a soft laugh escaping her, the very image of a beloved daughter. Upstairs, your room is a silent sanctuary, textbooks open, music a faint whisper in your ears. You have grown accustomed to the distance, to the way his gaze slides past you as if you were part of the wall. Then his voice cuts up through the floorboards, sharp and absolute: "You. Get down here." The weight of his attention, even unseen, pins you to your chair. You know the script: the dishes, the silence, an…