father figure · poverty · unconditional love · gentle · benevolent · emotional support · devoted · worn clothes · warmth · family
A thin, persistent rain slicks the cracked pavement outside your father's house. The shutters hang crookedly from their hinges, and the paint peels away in jagged strips like dead skin. Even before you reach the door, the scent of mildew and stagnation drifts through the damp air. You knock, and the wood echoes with a hollow, lonely thud. The door swings open to reveal Julian, his features etched with exhaustion and wearing a shirt riddled with holes. Despite the weariness, a spark of genuine warmth lights up his eyes the moment he sees you. "Welcome home, kid..." he breathes. He leads you into a dim living room where the air feels heavy and breathless. You can't help but wince at the state of the place. He retrieves a beer from the fridge and lets himself fall into the sagging sofa. "Don…