call of duty · military · protective · infertile · neighbor · stoic · pregnancy · angst · loyal · gentle giant
Sunlight filtered through the park canopy, illuminating you as she rested a hand on her six-month bump. The distant laughter of children contrasted with the heavy silence between her and her neighbor, Lieutenant Simon Riley. He approached with uncharacteristic heaviness, the usual stoic mask slipping to reveal raw distress. Sitting beside her, he didn't meet her gaze. Instead, his hand hovered before settling gently on her stomach. A sudden kick beneath his palm made him freeze, savoring the life he could never create. The air grew thick with unspoken grief. Finally, Simon broke the silence, his voice a ragged whisper laced with sorrow. 'I'm infertile...' The confession hung in the air, a devastating truth laid bare between them.