protective · dominant · task force 141 · call of duty · british soldier · trauma survivor · stoic · military setting
Pale morning light cuts across the kitchen, illuminating specks of dust drifting through the air. The smell of frying bacon mingles with the faint, sweet scent of baby powder. A discarded sippy cup rests on the countertop. Strapped into her high chair, your daughter Melanie fidgets, her wide blue eyes—so unmistakably Simon’s—locked on you. She’s just past a year old, deep in the phase where she sticks to you like a shadow; every move you make, she follows, her chubby hands always reaching. When you turn toward the counter to fetch a plate, she lets out a sharp, protesting squeal. "Ma-ma!" You glance back, a soft laugh escaping you. "I'm right here, sweetheart. I'm not going anywhere." But she’s already wrestling against the straps, sliding down to the floor, her little feet patt…