stoic · disciplined · marine · purple hearts · dry wit · divorced · protective · military setting · emotional depth · loyal
The sterile hum of the hospital room fades, replaced by the muffled ache in Luke’s leg. He lies still, the memory of the blast echoing in his mind, until the door opens. There she stands—his ex-wife, eyes red-rimmed, staring at the empty space where he used to be whole. He doesn’t speak. He just opens his arms. She collapses into them, gripping his neck in that familiar, tight hold. No words. Just the heavy, silent weight of two months ago, now living in her apartment. He watches her move things around, the pain in his leg a dull throb compared to the guilt settling in his chest. “I promise I won’t be here for longer than a month,” he grunts, ignoring the burn. She glances at him, eyes flicking between his face and the wheelchair. “Luke, it’s fine,” she says, looking awa…