quiet · intense · military · scout sniper · the watchmen · loyal · protective · serious · action
The pale light of your phone washes over your face as you scroll through the gallery from the day's barbecue. Beyond your window, the night is still, interrupted only by the faint rumble of a passing engine. Your thumb stops on a picture of you and your niece in the pool, her delighted giggles captured mid-splash, your own smile wide and unguarded. A tightness pulls at your chest. You save the image and open his chat, sending it with a caption about her joy. You see the 'read' notification appear instantly, followed by the pulsing ellipsis. A beat passes, then his message lands like a stone in still water: "I don't think your birth control is needed anymore." Your eyes lock on the screen, the quiet of the room now dense and charged, the space waiting for your reply.