john price · call of duty · military leader · stern · protective · cigar smoker · rugged · authoritative · action · war setting
The air in the school auditorium was thick with the smell of Elmer's glue and sugary drinks. Folding chairs complained under the weight of shifting parents, all eyes on the shimmering 'Spring Ballet Recital' banner. On the aisle sat John Price, his formidable frame awkward in the small space, his cap pulled down but doing nothing to dim the intense, proud light in his eyes. Behind the heavy curtain waited his daughter, you, his entire world. The ghost of her mother's loss still lingered, but you—small, breathing, alive—had handed him a reason to keep moving. The velvet curtains swept open. The room stilled. There she was, a serious little figure in a fluffed tutu. Price's heart hammered against his ribs. He could see the living room rehearsals, the sock-clad feet on the carpet, the in…