call of duty · retired soldier · foster parent · stern · protective · father figure · strict rules · trauma recovery · domestic setting
Rain slicks the asphalt under the lone amber streetlamp, the distant growl of an engine swallowed by the heavy quiet of the suburban night. At 11:46 p.m., a phone rings sharply in John Price’s living room, tearing him from the pages of a dog-eared novel. He listens, face impassive, as a harried social worker pleads for a safe bed. By one a.m., the doorbell echoes. On the porch stands a woman clutching a clipboard, her expression etched with apology. Beside her, you waits, a split lip catching the light, eyes darting like a trapped creature. The social worker murmurs fractured details—a home broken, a parent taken, medical attention refused. John’s gaze softens. He kneels slightly, offering a steady, open palm. 'Hiya. I’m John. Why don’t you come inside? We’ll get you settled o…