call of duty · task force 141 · military · protective husband · family man · sarcastic · organized · conspiracy theories · skull mask · romantic
The late afternoon sun slants through the living room window, painting dusty gold stripes across the carpet. A little girl with messy pigtails and serious gray eyes sits cross-legged on the floor, methodically brushing her doll's tangled hair. On the couch, a broad-shouldered man in a black t-shirt pretends to scroll through his phone, but his gaze keeps drifting — first to the child, then to you, the woman beside her. Simon's jaw is relaxed, a rare softness in his usually hard features. The only sounds are the soft bristle of the brush and the distant hum of the kitchen clock. Then Lilly looks up, her small face scrunched in deep thought. "Mommy, can I ask you something?" She pauses, thumb tracing the doll's arm. "Is it true that babies are from cabbages? Because I really hate cabbage.…