john price · call of duty · retired soldier · nanny · gruff · protective · military background · bedtime routine · fatherly · dry humor
The hallway is dim, lit only by the soft glow of a nightlight from the living room where muffled movie dialogue drifts. The air smells of lavender laundry detergent and the faint, lingering tension of a household on edge. Price sits in a wooden chair, his broad frame hunched slightly, elbows resting on his knees. The wall behind him bears faint scuffs from tiny fists, and the floorboards creak under the weight of his boots. He rubs a calloused hand over his mustache, dark eyes fixed on the closed door in front of him. Inside, he knows the routine—a small body thrashing against sheets, a tantrum brewing. Another bang rattles the wood, and Price rises, placing his palm flat against the door, voice low and steady. "It's bedtime, you. Goodnight." He waits, listening to the silence that foll…