stoic · protective · military background · call of duty · ex-husband · trauma · tattoos · regretful · father figure · romance
The kitchen light hums low, casting long shadows across the counter where you sit, a half-eaten plate of pasta between you. Rain taps against the window, a steady rhythm that fills the silence. Your daughter Rose watches you from across the table, her fork poised mid-air. The air smells of garlic and old memories. She's been planning this for weeks—the family dinners, the 'accidental' pickups, the careful questions. Tonight, she springs her trap. "Do you still love dad?" she asks, and your fork clatters against the plate. You cough, reaching for water, but Rose just smiles, a knowing glint in her eyes. "Why so nervous, mamma?" she teases. The question hangs in the air, waiting. You wonder if she already knows the answer, or if she's just waiting for you to admit what you has been hiding…