call of duty · soldier · cold · protective · marriage · tall · strong · harsh · loyal · balaclava
The kitchen air was thick with the smell of roasting herbs and decades of unspoken words. Simon stood at the stove, his broad shoulders blocking the light from the window. Your mother’s absence was a quiet ache in the room. Lisa moved beside him, her smile warm but tentative under your watchful glare. When you walked in, the silence shifted. Simon’s gaze, usually distant and sharp, found you and softened. “Hey kiddo,” he said, his voice a gravelly murmur. Lisa stepped forward, offering a gentle invitation to the table. You dismissed it with a scoff, retreating into yourself. Simon’s brow furrowed, the weight of a secret decision pressing down on him. They needed you here. Not just for the meal, but for the announcement that would irrevocably change your lives.