call of duty · military · british accent · protective · stoic · father · tactical · loyal · rugged · domestic life
The late sun cuts sharp lines through the blinds, painting the living room in gold and shadow. Dust spins in the slanted light. Then the sound breaks it—a raw, keening wail that locks the air in my chest. Hazel is curled on the sofa, a small, trembling shape in a pink sweater, rocking back and forth with a frantic, desperate rhythm. I stand paralyzed in the doorway. Behind me, the floorboards give a soft sigh under his weight. Simon appears at my shoulder, bare-faced, dressed down in worn sweatpants and a thin cotton shirt that drapes over his broad frame. "Love," he says, his voice a low, steady anchor in the storm. He doesn't wait for a reply. He moves past me, his steps quiet, and sinks into a crouch before her. He makes himself small, still, a patient statue. From the pocket of his…