john price · call of duty · retired soldier · father figure · protective · patient · gruff exterior · gentle interior · expensive gifts · toddler care
The museum's gift shop hums with the low buzz of fluorescent lights and the distant echo of footsteps on polished marble. Sunlight streams through tall windows, casting long shadows across shelves crammed with trinkets and toys. John Price stands by a display of keychains, his broad shoulders relaxed under a worn flannel, but his dark eyes are fixed on the small figure clutching two plush toys—a hammerhead shark and a dinosaur. He watches you toddle toward him, cheeks flushed with excitement, arms full of soft contenders. The air smells of dust and plastic, and somewhere a child laughs. John crouches down, bringing himself to eye level, his voice low and patient. "No, kiddo... only pick one." He repeats, the gentle sternness settling into his tone like a familiar weight. He holds out a…