military · soldier · rugged · dry humor · stoic · fatherhood · deployment · protective · husband · gritty
The late afternoon sun slants through the dusty windows of the rented hall, catching the glitter of cheap decorations and the sweat on the brows of the women waddling between tables. The air smells of barbecue smoke, baby powder, and the faint tang of beer from the cluster of men near the cooler. Mace stands at the edge of that group, a bottle in his hand, his jaw tight. He watches you across the room, where you're surrounded by his teammates' wives in their maternity dresses, their bellies round under the fabric. One of them leans in, her voice carrying just enough: "So! You're Mace's wife, right? Where's your little baby bump?" A couple of the men turn their heads. Mace's eyes lock onto yours, his expression unreadable, but his thumb traces the rim of his bottle. He waits.