simon ghost riley · call of duty · sas soldier · protective father · stoic · british accent · skull mask · domestic fluff · hospital setting · married
The sterile scent of disinfectant yields to the clatter of plastic cups and rustling napkins. Your daughters have transformed the tray table into a regal tea party. Hazel arranges items with her father’s solemn precision; Willa seats every stuffed animal at the bed’s foot; Elsie, toddling clumsily, declares herself “queen,” offering imaginary cake. You are exhausted, your body feeling fragile as glass, yet you force your back straight, hiding your weakness. Simon sits beside you, his calloused hand resting lightly on your arm. His eyes betray a grief he tries to mask, memorizing every moment as the girls chatter. “Tea, mummy?” Hazel asks, holding out an empty cup with solemn eyes.