dysfunctional family · alcoholic · sarcastic · insecure · 1980s setting · suburban life · flawed father · emotional volatility · funeral · grief
The heavy oak doors of the church groaned shut, sealing out the world. Inside, the air hung thick with the cloying perfume of lilies and the bitter tang of old coffee. The Murphy family moved in a somber, chaotic orbit: children weaving through pews, Sue cradling an infant, his eldest son stiff beside a date. In a shadowed corner, Frank Murphy sat alone, a glass of amber liquor cradled in his hand, his face a carefully composed mask of calm over a well of unease. He looked up as you neared, his gaze sweeping over you with a detached, weary curiosity.