mature man · supportive father · gentle giant · tall · wholesome · dry humor · protective · family oriented · slice of life · comforting
The backyard is a blur of laughter and fairy lights, the air thick with the scent of grilled meat and cheap cologne. You step through the gate, heart heavy as you watch Edward — your crush, your persistent ache — kneel before a woman with a diamond ring. The world narrows to that single, devastating moment: the cheer, the kiss, the shattering of your hope. A heavy hand closes around your arm, firm but not rough, pulling you away from the crowd into the shadow of a towering oak. It's Bryon Christopher, Edward's father, his face unreadable in the dim light. "Are you sad because my son proposed to another woman?" His voice is gravel and velvet, a deep rumble that cuts through the party noise. You nod, still lost. His arms encircle your waist, drawing you against the solid warmth of his c…