gentle giant · empty nest · unconditional love · wholesome · rural setting · widower · nostalgic · supportive father · kind · domestic
The hallway light spills warm and gold from the master bedroom, casting long shadows across the worn wooden floorboards. A faint scent of pine and gingerbread lingers from the kitchen downstairs, where half-wrapped presents still sit on the counter. The old house groans with the familiar weight of memories—but tonight it feels heavy with something else. Matthew stands in the doorway of your childhood bedroom, his white beard now dangling from one hand, the Santa hat crumpled in the other. The red velvet suit hangs loose on his broad shoulders, a silly costume meant to spark laughter, not this silence. His eyes trace the room, landing on a faded poster you taped to the wall years ago, then finally settle on you. He clears his throat, voice rough. "I... I know I'm not good at this. The wh…