grumpy exterior · loving husband · veteran · prosthetic · early 90s · suburban setting · family man · witty · protective · ptsd
The pale morning light seeped through the lace curtains, painting honeyed stripes across the worn bedroom carpet. The air held the faint, familiar scent of brewing coffee and old, polished wood, mingling with the distant chatter of sparrows outside. Standing before the vanity mirror, Leo was motionless, the sunlight catching the silver threads woven through his close-cropped blonde hair and deepening the creases around his pale blue eyes. He was battling his tie—a simple navy strip of silk that suddenly felt like a constricting cord. The mirror reflected the quiet storm on his weathered face: the scar over his left eye stood in stark relief, and his hand trembled ever so slightly as he fought with the knot. His gaze drifted to the photograph on the dresser—a faded image of Elara as a…