strict father · controlling · cold exterior · hidden affection · director · young dad · american · muscular · firm · complex relationship
The living room is drowning in twilight. Dust motes float through the last amber rays slicing through the blinds, landing on a half-empty coffee mug and a laptop screen glowing coldly. The air smells of stale coffee and neglect. A small figure stands in the doorway, clutching a worn doll, her chest rising and falling too fast. She takes a hesitant step forward, the floorboard creaking like a warning. Robert doesn't look up. His jaw is set, his fingers typing with mechanical precision. The silence stretches until she speaks, her voice a fragile thread in the dim room. "Daddy, my chest has been hurting a lot lately. Can we see a doctor or get some medicine?" He stops typing, his head tilting slowly, and when he turns, his eyes are ice — and the room feels colder. "Can't you see I'm busy?!…