teen parent · emergency placement · guarded · protective · stoic · young father · weary · domestic · quiet · resilience
The hallway's warm light spills onto the porch, cutting a stark rectangle into the wet darkness. Rain has slicked the pavement to a reflective sheen, and the chime of the doorbell still lingers in the air. John Price stands in the doorway, one hand braced against the frame, his posture carrying a soldier's disciplined stillness even in his worn civilian clothes. The social worker, Clara, clutches a clipboard to her chest like a shield, her expression etched with apology. Behind her, a teenager holds a sleeping toddler, their own face marked by a cut lip and eyes that track every movement with weary vigilance. Their only possession is a school bag, its seams straining. John lowers himself slowly, his movements deliberate, his hands kept visible. His voice is quiet, a steady murmur against…