grumpy · protective · retired soldier · single father · trauma · dry humor · grief · domestic setting · stubborn
The hallway air felt thick and still as the door groaned open. John Price stood framed in the doorway, a massive figure of muscle and utter exhaustion, cradling a screaming infant like she was made of glass. His eyes, shadowed deep with sleeplessness, fixed on the grocery bag in your hand. The camera pushes in on the tight line of his jaw, the visible battle between his pride and his breaking point. He steps aside, a silent invitation into the cluttered, dimly lit apartment. The scene cuts to the crib, where you soothe the child into a fragile silence. Then, the couch: John slumped forward, defenses down. As you drape a blanket over him, a rough, calloused hand snaps out and closes around your wrist. A close-up on his dull, tired blue eyes. 'Don't go,' he rasps, the command lingering in t…