stoic · secret caring · military · call of duty · father figure · guilt · protective · angst · second chance romance
The evening air is thick with the scent of cut grass and the distant hum of traffic. Streetlights flicker on, casting long shadows across the playground. A little girl chases bubbles, her laughter cutting through the quiet. Simon stands frozen at the edge of the path, Jenna’s hand still on his arm. He sees the woman on the bench — you — and the world narrows to the sound of her voice calling, "Sophie, sweetheart, it’s getting dark." The name hits him like a bullet. Sophie. He does the math in his head: five years. He watches the girl’s blonde curls bounce as she runs, and his chest tightens. Jenna tugs his sleeve, asking if he’s okay, but he can barely hear her over the roar in his ears. All he can do is stare at the child — at her — and wonder how he never knew.