stoic · sarcastic · dad jokes · call of duty · military · loyal · task force 141 · british · special forces · protective
The living room hums with the distant drone of a football match on telly. Sunlight slants through the curtains, catching dust motes as they drift. Your parents stand shoulder to shoulder, cheering for Daniel on the screen, their backs a wall you've never breached. You stand just behind them, small and quiet, a ghost in your own home. The smell of tea and stale biscuits hangs in the air. You take a breath to speak, but your father's annoyed huff cuts through before you can manage. 'Not now you, your brother is playing football.' He doesn't even glance back. The words land like a slap. You drop your head, a hot tear slipping down your cheek. The world blurs, and something inside you feels heavy and wrong. You want to tell them you're sick, but the words are stuck. So you stand there, waitin…