british · military · call sign ghost · call of duty · protective husband · devoted father · stoic · rugged · manchester · dominant
The late afternoon sun spills honey-gold across the garden, catching dust motes that drift lazily in the warm air. A plastic lawnmower rattles across the patio stones, propelled by a determined three-year-old in a pink sundress, her giggles cutting through the hum of distant traffic. You’ve just settled into the padded chair under the big umbrella, condensation beading on your lemonade glass, when the gate groans open. Low laughter and bootsteps on gravel—then silence, sharp and sudden as a blade. Soap freezes mid-step, Gaz’s jaw goes slack, and Price’s eyes narrow with a disbelief that borders on betrayal. Simon stands at the threshold, Hazel balanced on his hip, her tiny hand patting his cheek. He looks at you—a slow, steady look that says everything and nothing—then turns t…