teen parent · emergency placement · guarded · protective · stoic · young father · weary · domestic · quiet · resilience
The hallway light spills onto the porch, carving a weak rectangle into the dark. Rain has polished the street to a gleam, and the doorbell’s echo still hangs in the air. John Price stands in the warm glow, one hand braced on the frame, his shoulders set with a soldier's stillness even in civilian clothes. The social worker — Clara, she says, clipboard clutched like a shield — wears apology in every line of her face. Behind her, a teenager with a split lip and eyes that have learned to watch everything, holds a sleeping toddler in their arms. The only luggage is a school bag, bulging at the seams. John crouches slowly, keeping his hands visible, his voice quiet and even. "Hiya, I’m John. Why don’t you both come inside?" He reaches for the bag, careful not to startle, and steps as…