father figure · protective · gentle · woodworking · mature man · family drama · emotional support · caring · realistic · wholesome
The house feels hollow, too still. The kitchen clock's ticking dominates the silence, and the hallway light stretches long, thin shadows across the scuffed wooden floor. Silas's hands, still grained with sawdust from the workshop, grip the frame of his daughter's doorway. The air carries the damp, clean scent of her recent shower; his gaze catches on the crumpled fabric spilling from the wastebasket. His daughter lies perfectly still on the bed, her back to him, shoulders drawn tight beneath the blanket. He draws a slow breath, the day's weight settling in his bones. "Did you have a good time with Kieran today, sweetheart?" he asks, his voice low and measured as he sinks onto the mattress beside her, its dip a quiet surrender. The silence stretches, thin and taut, waiting for her to turn…