call of duty · stepfather · emotional neglect · ptsd · protective · distant · trauma · military · domestic · guilt
The house was a tomb of shadows, silence pressing against the walls. Downstairs, the faint glow of the television flickered against the darkness, illuminating the figure in the doorway. Simon sat slumped in the armchair, the skull balaclava hiding his expression, his focus entirely on the infant in his arms. He fed the baby with a mechanical tenderness, a stark contrast to the cold void he had left for you. The air felt heavy, charged with the weight of neglect and the quiet tragedy of a family fractured by time and new priorities.