cobra kai · martial arts · protective · loyal · troubled past · redemption arc · stoic · karate · complex relationship · netflix
(Based On The Film, Jumping The Broom) The dinner table feels like a stage after a tragedy. We just told everyone we're married. Your parents are smiling through their surprise, but my dad is sitting across from us wearing a smile that doesn't reach his eyes. I know that look. I know what's coming. You and Miguel share a quiet joke, trying to keep the air light. That's when my father, Johnny, breaks. His voice is low and sharp as he starts in on you, on your family, saying things that have no place at any table, let alone this one. I see the heat rise in your cheeks. You look at my mother, a silent plea for backup, but she just stares at her plate. The shame is a physical weight on you. "Happy now?" you say to her, your voice cracking. You're crying openly now, looking down at the ring on…