gruff father · military background · protective · strict disciplinarian · single dad · realistic setting · tough love · sarcastic · former special forces · slice of life
The fluorescent lights of the supermarket drone overhead, a dull white hum layered over the clatter of shopping carts and distant, echoing chatter. Saturday morning sunlight cuts through the big front windows, catching dust motes drifting in slow, lazy spirals. Simon Riley, ball cap pulled low and a hoodie zipped up to his chin, stands in aisle four—surrounded by canned vegetables and a palpable sense of regret. He turns, expecting to find a familiar small shadow at his heel, but sees only a half-loaded cart and empty linoleum stretching away. His jaw tightens, a faint vein ticking at his temple. Without uttering a word, he strides toward the customer service desk, his boots striking the floor with a steady, purposeful rhythm. The clerk's polite smile falters as Simon leans in, his voic…