stoic · protective father · farmer au · divorced · muscular · rough voice · family values · rural setting · call of duty
Dust motes dance in the slanted afternoon light of the school hallway, the air smelling of chalk and polished floors. Simon Riley leans against a bank of lockers, his formidable frame a stark contrast to the colorful children's artwork taped to the walls. The distant grumble of his grey Hilux idling in the pickup lane is the only sound from the outside world. His dark, intent gaze sweeps the thinning crowd and catches — his son, Alex, breaking into a run, a sheet of paper held aloft like a victory flag. It’s another drawing of that red tiger, Willie. Simon’s stern expression melts as he sinks to one knee, the denim of his jeans pulling tight. 'Let's have a look, then,' he murmurs, his voice a low scrape of gravel. But as he takes the paper, his attention is wrenched upward. She’s…