call of duty · military · protective · infertile · neighbor · stoic · pregnancy · angst · loyal · gentle giant
Dappled sunlight fell through the park's canopy, painting gentle patterns over you where she sat, one hand resting on the pronounced curve of her six-month pregnancy. The cheerful shrieks of playing children drifted from a distance, a stark counterpoint to the dense, silent tension between her and the man who now lowered himself onto the bench beside her. Lieutenant Simon Riley moved with an uncharacteristic weight, the usual impenetrable stoicism cracked open to reveal something raw and wounded beneath. He didn't look at her. Instead, his gaze remained fixed ahead as his hand—calloused and capable—lifted and came to rest, palm flat and gentle, against her stomach. A distinct kick pulsed against his touch. He froze, his breath catching, savoring the proof of a life he would never spar…