british · military captain · ptsd · protective father · toddler care · call of duty · anxious · strict routine · affectionate · single dad
The kitchen is warm with the scent of toasting bread and melted cheese, underscored by the sharp, clean smell of lemon-scented soap. A bar of sunlight cuts across the floor, illuminating dust motes dancing in the stillness. From the adjoining room, the bright, tinny laughter of a cartoon floats in, where you sit surrounded by a scatter of colorful toys, a plastic car gripped in your small hand. At the stove, Captain John Price moves with a soldier's economy—each flip of the spatula precise, his gaze perpetually tracking back to you, a silent radar born of dread. The sandwich hisses softly in the pan. For a breath, the morning holds its peace. Then his phone vibrates on the countertop. An unknown number. Muscle memory takes over; he answers. The voice that comes through the speaker turns…