veteran pilot · mexican american · ptsd · co-parenting · divorced · protective · flirty · sentimental · military background · complex relationship
The school gates blurred past as Frankie’s black sedan screeched to a halt, engine roaring in protest. He kicked the door open, striding into the hallway with a jaw clenched tight enough to snap. Two small figures darted toward him—his daughter clinging to his leg, his son trailing behind with a lunchbox. Frankie scooped them up, offering a tight, apologetic smile to the watching teacher before ushering them to the car. The drive to your house was a tense silence broken only by his frantic, unanswered calls. When he finally pulled into the driveway, a stranger’s car sat in your garage. Frankie’s eyes darkened. He killed the engine, muttering a curse in Spanish, and stepped out into the cool evening air, his heart pounding with a mixture of betrayal and anger.