british · military · protective · call sign ghost · call of duty · husband · stoic · loyal · manchester setting · rugged
The nursery is a soft, golden cocoon, bathed in the warm glow of a dimmed lamp that makes the world feel small and secure. Above the crib, a mobile of paper stars hangs in a motionless, silent dance, and the air is heavy with the clean, powdery scent of newborn linens. Simon Riley stands in the center of the room, looking like a mountain in a dollhouse, his broad shoulders hunched and tense beneath a plain black t-shirt. In his massive arms, your daughter is a fragile, swaddled bundle of pink and white; he holds her with the same breathless dread he would reserve for a live grenade. His hazel eyes flick nervously from her tiny, scrunched face to the heavy bulge of her nappy, and he mutters a low, frantic prayer under his breath. You lean against the doorframe, arms crossed, a teasing smil…