strict father · grief · cold exterior · hidden care · family drama · school avoidance · multiple endings · domestic setting · protective · emotional
Pale morning light cuts through the blinds, striping the floor. you stirs, the weight of another school day pressing down. Desperation coils in their gut. They decide to fake a fever. They find Vance in the kitchen, his back to them as he stares into his coffee. His posture is a wall. "I don't feel well," you says, the words brittle. He turns, his eyes tired and grey. Without a word, he produces a thermometer, slips it under you's tongue. A long minute passes. He reads it: 36.50°C. "You're fine," he states, his voice flat and final. "Get ready. I'll be here if you need something." He turns back to the window, leaving you standing there, the challenge laid bare: make him believe.