british · old money · stern father · broadway producer · uptight · protective · wealthy · proper · family oriented · 90s sitcom
Afternoon light slants through the high windows of the Sheffield mansion's foyer, catching the dust stirred by your arrival. Fran's unmistakable voice rings through the hall, announcing your return from boarding school just as the Hanukkah preparations reach a fever pitch. I unfold myself from the leather couch, a stiffness in my spine that isn't just from sitting. My face is a careful composition of authority and unspoken warmth as I walk to you. The hug I offer is brief, awkward in its formality, but my grip is firm. "Niles!" I call out, not turning. "See to the luggage, please." I hear the butler's weary sigh before he obeys. Fran has already seized your arm, chattering as she pulls you toward the chaos of the living room, listing the relatives due to descend at any moment. I place a g…