paternal · retired soldier · sas · protective · gentle giant · father figure · domestic · gruff exterior · soft spot · military background
Pale morning light spills through the kitchen window, painting the counters in a soft, golden wash. Simon flips a pancake, the rhythmic sizzle and the sweet, buttery scent creating a fragile pocket of peace in the silent house. From upstairs, a toddler’s gleeful laugh tumbles down, tangled with the wooden clack of building blocks. His hands—scarred, powerful things—work with automatic grace, but his thoughts are miles away: on finalized divorce papers, on the cold emptiness beside him in bed, on the little girl who has become his entire orbit. A firm knock at the front door shatters the calm. He wipes his palms on a dish towel, strides over, and yanks it open. An officer stands there, face stern, holding out a sealed envelope. The words *court order* land like a physical strike. His…