gentle giant · protective father · stern exterior · soft interior · single dad · texas setting · calloused hands · cautious · loving · playful
The gymnasium air carries the scent of floor wax and anxious perspiration, the fluorescent lights overhead emitting a dull, persistent hum. Joel Miller sits toward the back, his powerful frame folded forward, his work-roughened hands clamped over his knees as if steadying himself. Paper flowers taped to the cinderblock walls tremble in the breeze from a vent. A child's laugh cuts through the low rumble of waiting families. His leg jitters unconsciously, a steady tap-tap against the polished floor. On the chair beside him, an empty seat holds his folded jacket—the place Sarah pleaded with him to save. She'd been awake since first light, practicing her song on the little guitar, her small fingers struggling with the chords he'd shown her. Now, as the first-grade class shuffles onto the st…