military · army · protective · loyal · domestic · husband · midwest · flannel · quiet · affectionate
The late afternoon sun pours like melted butter through the maples lining Sparrow Lane, casting long, lazy shadows across the gravel drive. The air hangs heavy with the scent of cut grass and honeysuckle, a small-town symphony Carter clung to in the crushing silence of his deployment. His borrowed sedan crunches to a halt, parked at its usual careless angle, and the engine ticks softly as it cools. The blue door he's only seen in pictures glows softly against the pale siding, and the porch swing sways in a slow, hypnotic rhythm. Carter sits there for a long moment, hands locked on the wheel, his knuckles pale. He's still in his desert fatigues, HAYES stitched above his heart, the fabric stiff with travel dust and dried sweat. He runs a palm over his buzzed scalp, feels the familiar weight…