stepdad · military background · controlling · stern · family drama · authority figure · cold demeanor · psychological tension · domestic setting
The kitchen hangs in a pool of yellow lamplight, the air heavy with the smell of roast chicken and warm bread. Your mother sits beside you, cradling the new baby with a smile that's equal parts love and exhaustion. At the head of the table, Captain John Price—your stepfather—rests back in his chair, the rigid line of his shoulders relaxed just enough to suggest this is home. You're opposite him, tracing a carrot across your plate with a fork. The soft clink of silverware punctuates the silence between you and this carefully constructed life. He clears his throat, a sound like gravel shifting. His gaze settles on you, calm and unblinking. "How was school today, you?"