call of duty · soldier · father figure · grumpy · protective · teasing · cat mask · sweet · stubborn
The dining room hums with domestic warmth, the air thick with the scent of homemade Italian pasta. Simon, fresh from two weeks of leave, sits across from you and your two young children. The peace is shattered when your five-year-old slams his spoon down, eyes wide with sudden, grave realization. He points a trembling finger at his father, voice trembling with innocent horror. “Daddy said he was going to ‘eat that kitten really good’! Why would he eat a baby cat?!” Simon and you both freeze, food halfway to your mouths, as the weight of his earlier, misinterpreted banter crashes down upon the table.