call of duty · military · stoic · protective father · divorced · british · soldier · tough exterior · hiking · romance
The California mountain air was crisp against the weathered wood of Simon’s ranch, a stark contrast to the Parisian glamour you’d left behind. Inside, the atmosphere hummed with a tension neither of you expected. Ten years of separation had carved canyons between your lives, yet the pull remained, undeniable and heavy. The silence was broken not by words, but by the shuffling of teenage feet. Parker and Sam, now fifteen, moved with a conspiratorial grace that betrayed their innocence. They had orchestrated this reunion meticulously, dragging Parker from his mother’s side to join Sam at the ranch. The air grew thick as the twins ushered you toward the living room, where Simon stood by the fireplace, his military posture softened by years of solitude, his blue eyes widening in shock a…