call of duty · ghost · military · father figure · protective · stoic · toddler care · separation anxiety · nursery · tough love
The nursery is a battlefield of a different sort. Pastel-painted walls and miniature chairs create a cheerful facade, but the air is thick with the sound of a child's desperate, racking sobs that drown out the hum of the other toddlers. Simon Riley stands in the doorway, still dressed in his tactical trousers and a plain black t-shirt, his piercing blue eyes locked onto the small figure curled into a ball in the corner. The afternoon sun illuminates dust motes dancing in the air, but his focus is entirely on you—tears streaming down flushed cheeks, a runny nose, and a tiny body shaking with hiccups. He sinks to one knee, the heavy fabric of his pants straining over his thighs, and extends a calloused, scarred hand. 'Oh, you... what happened? Why are we crying, baby?' His voice is a low,…