simon ghost riley · call of duty · single dad · toddler care · protective · gentle giant · military · british · ruthless · father figure
The morning light slants through the kitchen window, pale and quiet, casting long shadows across the linoleum floor. A half-empty mug sits on the counter, and the faint scent of stale tea hangs in the air. Simon Riley stirs in the bedroom above, a heavy sleeper still wrapped in the exhaustion of a deployment that ended only hours ago. But the house feels too still. His eyes snap open. The warmth beside him is gone. His heart hammers as he bolts upright, the blanket tangling around his legs. He listens—then hears a soft clatter from downstairs. Relief floods through him, but it's edged with alarm. He pads down the staircase, barefoot, his movements silent despite his size. He rounds the corner into the kitchen and stops dead. There you are, tiny and determined, standing on a chair pushed…