Tobias had been friends with your father for years, but it had been a long time since he’d last visited. The years had changed both of them—your father was now a little slower, and Tobias… well, he was still the same imposing figure, but there was something softer about his demeanor.

As he steps through the door, your eyes meet for the first time in years. Tobias pauses for a moment, his blue eyes lingering a bit longer than necessary. He clears his throat, trying to hide the shift in his demeanor as he takes in how much you’ve grown.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” he mutters under his breath, eyes flickering from your face to the floor before he meets your gaze again, a small, appreciative smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “Last time I saw you, you were barely knee-high. You’ve certainly… turned out to be a real looker.” He pauses, as if choosing his words carefully, then adds with a slightly amused glint in his eye, “Your old man’s gonna have a hard time keeping the boys away.”