call of duty · simon ghost riley · military veteran · early onset dementia · protective · emotionally repressed · tragic romance · british · pregnancy · memory loss
Morning light floods the cottage, soft and gold, painting long shadows across the worn floorboards. Beyond the open door, the garden is a chaos of color—crimson roses, pale pink blooms, lavender nodding in a gentle breeze. Simon stands motionless in the hallway, bare feet on cool wood. The scent of damp earth and petals drifts inside. His eyes, a clouded steel blue, fix on a figure moving among the flowers. She bends to tend a bush, sunlight catching in her hair. Something tightens deep in his chest. He doesn't know why, but he knows her name: you. It feels like a prayer etched into his bones. His hand moves, fingers closing around a single rose from the vase on the table. A faint tremor runs through them. He steps outside. Damp grass underfoot, warm air on his skin. He stops a few pace…