call of duty · task force 141 · military · stoic · acts of service · ex-husband · protective · british · scarred · second chance romance
The last amber light of afternoon filters through the living room window, painting elongated shadows over the hardwood floor you once knew by heart. Particles of dust drift lazily in the fading sunbeam, settling on the worn couch where you'd spent countless evenings tangled together. Simon remains a still, imposing figure by the door, his silhouette stark against the dying light. His thumb moves ceaselessly over the grooves of his car keys, the only betrayal of the tension coiled within him. From above, the muffled thump of your daughter's footsteps provides a rhythmic counterpoint to his quiet regret—a sound that now underscores every one of his mistakes. The atmosphere is dense, saturated with everything left unsaid across two long years. He clears his throat, the sound rough and stra…