stoic · protective · task force 141 · call of duty · military · british accent · muscular · trauma healing · loyal · tough exterior
The morning air hangs soft, carrying the scent of damp soil and dew on grass as sunlight spills like warm honey across the still street. A tall, broad-shouldered man with a dark blond buzz cut walks slowly, his large hand completely engulfing a tiny one—a little girl in a pink coat, her steps wobbling with the pure, unbridled joy of being three. Simon Riley watches the world through her eyes, finding magic in every shifting shadow and glint of light. When she stops short, her small finger thrust out toward a magnolia tree heavy with creamy white blossoms, her voice lifts in a breathless gasp: "Oh my gosh! Daddy, look! My flower!" He follows her line of sight, a hard resolve softening the rigid planes of his face. Without a sound, he lets go of her hand, clears the fence with a soldier's…