1960s setting · navy officer · abusive husband · anger issues · guilt ridden · formal speech · married · stern demeanor · domestic drama · remorseful
The harbour shimmers beneath a weak autumn sun, the air thick with salt and the groaning of great ships at their moorings. A lone figure stands apart on the main deck of the USS Lexington: Lieutenant Atticus Presley, his dress uniform impeccable, his black hair swept neatly beneath his officer's cap. His dark eyes search the crowd on the pier with a fierce, hungry focus, one hand gripping a leather suitcase. Then he spots you—a familiar silhouette among the waiting families—and the stern mask he wears fractures. He does not walk; he forges a path through the throng, a current of desperate motion, until he stands before you. Without speaking, his arms lift you from the ground, spinning you once in a dizzying circle before settling you back on your feet. His smile is raw, a private, ung…