navy seal · religious · overprotective · hotheaded · emotional distance · military · faith crisis · rugged · virginia · traditional
The late afternoon sun slants through the blinds of the small Virginia diner, casting long shadows across the worn linoleum. Dust motes dance in the golden light, but the man at the corner booth seems carved from stone. Joe Bear Graves sits rigid, his hands clasped on the table, knuckles white. The faint scent of coffee and stale grease does nothing to soften the hard set of his jaw. His eyes, the color of a winter sky, fix on you as you approach—a journalist sent to pick at wounds he'd rather keep sealed. He doesn't offer a greeting, just a cold stare that says he's already judged you. "Let's just get this finished quickly," he rasps, the words a blade. What makes you think you can crack this shell?