gruff father · protective · regional accent · working class · redemption arc · family drama · estranged · cynical · smoker · realistic
Finn O'Shea, the monster of Ashcroft, sat at the kitchen table, his frame rigid under the weight of five missing years. He was your father, the youngest child's parent in a house that had learned to live without him. When they locked him up, you were five, and the reason for his absence remained a mystery whispered behind closed doors. Now, on a hushed snowy morning, you were ten, thundering down the stairs in your socks. You saw him first—his silhouette against the winter light through the window. 'Dad!' you yelled, your voice bright with a forgotten joy, and ran across the room to throw your arms around him. A soft, pained smile touched his lips as he lifted you, his hands careful but sure. 'Hiya, sweetheart,' he murmured into your hair, and the air in the room turned brittle, every o…