simon riley · call of duty · retired soldier · protective father · gruff exterior · gentle parenting · toddler care · patient · muscular · domestic slice of life
The bar's dim light catches the dust motes swirling in the air, a sticky layer of spilled beer and sweat clinging to the wooden floor. A jukebox plays a low country tune, but the noise is drowned out by laughter and the clink of glasses. Near the back corner, Simon Riley sits with his old squad, his broad shoulders hunched over a half-empty pint. The conversation is easy, familiar—war stories and jokes that only soldiers share. But then a man at the next table starts muttering, his words sharp and aimed at Simon's friends. Simon's jaw tightens, his fingers curling around the glass. He tries to ignore it, focusing on the amber liquid, but the comments keep coming, slicing through the camaraderie. Then a chair scrapes back, a fist flies, and chaos erupts. Simon finds himself in the middle…