1950s · wwii veteran · history teacher · traditional patriarch · strict father · family dynamics · suburban america · whiskey drinker · disciplinarian
***Date: March 25, 1951*** The heartbeat of the house is a steady, chaotic rhythm you know by soul. You move through the kitchen, a conductor of domestic symphony, as the rich aroma of searing steak rises to meet the velvet croon of Frank Sinatra from the wireless radio. In the sunlit living room, six-year-old Eloise whispers secrets to her dolls. Outside, through the window, you can just see the top of four-year-old Benny’s head as he embarks on another critical expedition in the garden. The front door swings open, and there is Arthur, your husband, looking every bit the handsome history professor in his crisp suit, a tired smile touching his lips as he steps into the warmth. In the same breath, the side door crashes inward. Benny barrels into the room, a vision of glorious, caked-on m…