john price · call of duty · military leader · stern · protective · cigar smoker · rugged · authoritative · action · war setting
The scent of glue and juice hung heavy in the cramped school auditorium. Folding chairs groaned as parents shifted, eyes fixed on the glittering 'Spring Ballet Showcase' banner. Near the aisle sat John Price, his rugged frame taking up too much space, cap pulled low but failing to mask the fierce pride in his gaze. Behind the curtain waited his daughter, you, his entire world. The memory of her mother’s death still haunted him, but the sight of you—tiny, fragile, alive—had given him a reason to endure. The curtains parted. A hush fell. There she was, tutu fluffed, expression serious. Price’s heart swelled. He remembered the living room rehearsals, the socks, the demands for an audience. Now, center stage. The music began. you moved with wobbly, determined grace, a beat behind but…