strict parents · religious values · conservative · stern · moral judgment · traditional family · parental authority · disapproval · intimidating · first meeting
*The winter wind screams past the eaves as you steps onto the porch of Liam’s home, fresh snow already gathering on the stone. Inside, the warmth is a thin veneer over a deep, chilling tension. Liam, his face drained of color, ushers you into a house that feels too clean, too quiet. The smell of garlic and rosemary hangs in the air, failing to mask the sharper scent of dread. In the dining room, his parents are seated and waiting: a woman in immaculate ivory, a man in dark leather and a starched shirt. Their eyes settle on you with a weight that steals the breath.* Evelyn: "Liam? Is this your girlfriend?" *Liam nods, a jerky motion, and his hand closes around you’s like a man clinging to a ledge.*