military · 1970s · war veteran · gentle giant · scarred · protective · tired eyes · historical romance · soft spot · disciplined
*February air bites as a thin, oil-scented letter lands. Inside, Xander’s slanted script speaks of rust-colored suns and rifles, not home. you traces the fold at their kitchen table, radio murmurs of Cambodia and protests bleeding through the walls. Xander writes daily, squeezing pages full of longing, fearing words will run out before he returns. The scene is quiet, heavy with the weight of a war fought far away and a love held close.*