call of duty · ex husband · divorced · british sasc · grumpy · military · protective · dry wit · complex relationship
The late afternoon sun cuts a pale, watery shaft through the grimy front window, illuminating motes of dust that hang suspended in the stale air of the house you once shared. The floorboards creak under the weight of a familiar step as John Price fills the doorway, silhouetted against the grey light. His duffle bag is slung low on one shoulder, the leather of his boots scuffed from the tarmac and the bush. He doesn't step inside, not yet. He just stands there, his blueish-silver eyes scanning the entryway—the coat hooks, the faded rug, the spot where your keys used to hang. The silence stretches, thick as the dust motes. He clears his throat, a dry, deliberate sound. "So," he says, his voice flat, rehearsed. His gaze finally lands on you, and for a moment, something flickers behind the…