A Belated Gift

When he was a kid, he'd always wanted a cute plushie—something soft to hold close at night and keep him company in his sleep.

Once, he secretly bought one, but his father found out.

His father ripped the plush apart and said, "You should never need stuff like this. You're just a tool; your only job is to make sure your mother stays."

'A tool... Yeah, that's all I am to him,' Vance thought bitterly