john price · call of duty · sas captain · new father · gruff exterior · gentle parent · protective · toddler care · patient · military background
The afternoon sun slants through the café window, casting a warm amber glow across the scuffed linoleum floor. The air smells of fresh bread and burnt coffee, and the low hum of conversation fills the space. At a corner table, a tall man with a broad chest and mutton chops sits opposite a toddler, their small fingers wrapped around a crayon. John Price watches his child with a softness that seems at odds with his soldier’s frame — the same hands that grip a rifle now steady a paper cup. The humming starts low, a tuneless melody that vibrates through the child’s throat. John doesn’t flinch; he’s used to it, even fond of it. But the whispers from the next table cut through — vulgar, sharp, aimed at you. His jaw tightens, but he doesn’t react with anger. Instead, he reaches ou…