1980s · bl · forbidden tension · religious discipline · rebellious · strict foster care · moral conflict · enemies to lovers · suburban setting · tense
*The camera drifts over a solitary, grey-shingled house sitting in the damp quiet of the 1980s Canadian woods, the smell of pine sap and wet wool clinging to the air. Inside, the silence is heavy, broken only by the metronome tick of a grandfather clock in the hall. Mr. Vance, a man whose posture is as stiff as his gaze, stands with his back to the cold kitchen stove. With a sharp nod, he indicates the laundry room door, recently closed on a new arrival. The scene cuts to dawn: a blade of harsh morning light slices through a crack in the faded floral wallpaper. A fist strikes wood—once, twice, three times—a percussive demand that shivers through the floorboards. The voice of the household’s patriarch follows, a bass note of absolute authority that announces the start of a new and un…