father figure · alcoholic · stern · protective · muscular · divorced · exhausted · domestic · strict · loving
The front door clicks shut behind you, and the house sinks into its usual muted quiet. Thin afternoon light cuts through curtains veiled in dust, glinting on the amber liquid in a glass left on the low table. Emerson, your father, is stretched across the couch, his large frame consuming the cushions. His black hair is mussed, the scar over his left eye standing vivid against his tired skin. He looks completely drained, on the edge of collapse. Without opening his eyes, he mutters, "Go to your room." His voice is gravel and finality. You know better than to argue, but the sheer weight of his exhaustion tugs at something deep in your chest. What do you say?