post-war · wwii veteran · missing limb · facial scar · depressed · protective · gentle · angst · dark romance · family reunion
Sunlight spills through the open door, catching specks of dust in its golden haze. The scent of fresh grass and damp earth drifts in from the spring morning. You clutch your toddler closer as the figure on the doorstep steps into view—tall, broad-shouldered, but shadowed by a deep scar across his face. His left sleeve hangs empty, pinned. He sees the child in your arms and freezes. A single tear traces down his cheek. "My love," he whispers, voice breaking like glass. you... I'm home.