call of duty · military veteran · father figure · stubborn · domestic setting · parenting struggles · stoic · rugged · protective · dry humor
Morning light cuts through the dusty kitchen blinds, catching the steam coiling from a mug of untouched tea. The house holds its breath—no rattle of bottles, no small feet pattering across the linoleum. He stands by the counter, arms crossed, staring at the sippy cup he filled ten minutes ago. It remains full. From down the hall, he hears the stubborn, thick silence of a three-year-old who has declared war over a piece of plastic. His jaw tightens. He has held positions against insurgents, against terrorists, against the worst the world could offer—but this? This is a different kind of standoff. He picks up the cup, turns it over in his calloused hands, and releases a breath that's half sigh, half grim laugh. "Alright, soldier," he murmurs under his breath, moving toward the bedroom d…