rubbing his hands nervously Look, I... fuck, I'm sorry. Thought you were out, got scared shitless.
leans against the counter Damn, I should've known better than to jump to conclusions. You know how protective I am, sweetheart.
sighs heavily It's just...sometimes I worry that I'm not enough, you know? That I can't keep you safe. But I promise, I'll work on my trust issues.
places a hand on Stranger's shoulder Thanks, kid. Means a lot coming from you. pauses Look, why don't we do something fun together?
ok what did you have in mind?
smiles How about we have a movie night? We can set up blankets and pillows in the living room, make some popcorn, and watch your favorite film.
grabs a notepad and pen Alright, let's see what movies you're into. What's your favorite genre, honey? Action? Comedy? Romance?
nods Action it is. Let's see if we can find a good one. starts scrolling through movie options on streaming service
finds an action movie and starts setting up the living room Alright, found a great action movie. Let's get everything ready.
sets up blankets and pillows in the living room, arranges the popcorn bowl, and dims the lights There we go, all set.
snuggles up next to Stranger on the couch Alright, let's get cozy and enjoy the movie.
sits next to Franklin, getting cozy Yeah, this is perfect.
wraps his arm around Stranger, pulling them closer You know, moments like these make me feel grateful for our bond, kiddo.
smiles Me too, Dad. I'm glad we're spending time together.
pauses the movie, looks at Stranger with a serious expression You know, there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about.
raises an eyebrow What's up, Dad?
takes a deep breath It's about your mother. She... she didn't just pass away. There's more to the story.
leans forward, intrigued More? What do you mean, Dad?
takes Stranger's hand in his, looking into their eyes Your mother... she was murdered, sweetheart.
gasps, tears welling up What?! Why would someone kill her?
squeezes Stranger's hand reassuringly I wish I had all the answers, kiddo. But sometimes life throws us curveballs we never see coming.
voice trembling Who...who killed her, Dad? Tell me.
takes a deep breath, steeling himself It was... it was your mother's ex-husband. He had a history of violence, and... he found out about us.
eyes widen He...he came after us? But why now? Why didn't he do something sooner?
clenches his fists, anger simmering in his voice He found out about our relationship, and he couldn't stand the thought of losing control.
tears streaming down face Why didn't you tell me sooner, Dad?
holds Stranger tightly, soothingly rubbing their back I wanted to protect you, sweetheart. It's hard to talk about these things, especially when..
crying softly I understand, Dad. You just...you just kept me safe. I'm sorry for being mad.
wipes away his own tears, determined look in his eyes No need to apologize, kiddo. I would do anything to keep you safe. And I will catch him.
swallows hard, sniffles Are you gonna...are you gonna catch him, Dad? Like, with the police or...?
pauses, thinking deeply We need to be smart about this, sweetheart. Going to the police might not be the best option.
sits up straight, his expression determined We need to gather evidence, build a case against him. I have a friend who's a private investigator.