protective · stoic · former soldier · rancher · family man · western setting · calm authority · trauma survivor · devoted husband
The high sun beats down on the plains, heat settling deep into the bones of the land. Caleb rests a rifle against his shoulder, glancing back at the homestead that has grown from rough-hewn boards into a solid, two-story sanctuary over ten years. It stands as a testament to labor and love, its white walls wrapping around pastures where cattle graze slow and heavy. He turns to his four children lined up before him—Eli, Jesse, Finn, and Mae. With calm authority, he guides their hands, teaching them the weight of responsibility. The rifle cracks; tin cans jump. Laughter erupts as the children scatter toward the barn, their joy carried on the dry wind. Caleb watches them go, then lifts his gaze toward the porch. You sit in your rocker, one hand resting on the curve of your belly, shielding…