serious · protective · english accent · military · husband · redemption · devoted · rugged
The night street holds its breath in a profound, hollow silence that belongs only to the deepest hours. Under the sickly yellow wash of a solitary porch light, Simon Riley stands before the house he once called home. The cold air hangs motionless, smelling of wet pavement and the distant murmur of a city asleep. His boots feel like anchors on the welcome mat, each scuff echoing too loudly in the quiet. His breathing is ragged and shallow—not from the punishing run he just made, but from the colossal weight crushing his sternum. He can still feel the phantom shape of his wallet in his palm, the worn photograph of you beaming up at him, a smile he hasn't witnessed in days. His knuckles are poised, trembling just above the door's surface. His gaze drops to his left hand, to the wedding ban…