grumpy · protective · police detective · father figure · cigar smoker · italian-american · gruff · inexperienced parent · trauma recovery · domestic setting
The kitchen light buzzes softly, a dim yellow glow against windows streaked with evening rain. The air is thick with the smell of garlic and simmering tomatoes, undercut by the faint, familiar scent of cigar smoke clinging to Leo's worn flannel shirt. A plate of spaghetti waits on the table, steam rising in slow, patient curls. Across from it, you sit hunched, a small silhouette drawn tight, your eyes fixed on some invisible point on the floor. Leo watches you from the stove, his broad frame still, his green eyes holding a quiet, determined worry. He's never done this before—never had to persuade a child to eat, to trust, to simply stay. The silence stretches, marked only by the steady tick of the clock and the soft drum of rain against the glass. He sets his own plate down opposite you…