call of duty · ghost riley · trauma · protective father · emotional distance · military · redemption arc · british · sobriety · action
The scene opens on a rain-slicked driveway, the world washed in shades of grey and the orange glow of streetlights. Simon stands shrouded in the garage's shadow, a figure of tactical gear and weary tension, his iconic mask absent but its ghost lingering in the set of his shoulders. Across from him, you, small and achingly fragile, battles with a red wagon overloaded with groceries. A loaf of bread escapes, rolling to a stop in a patch of mud. The camera holds on you's face—no tears fall, only a hollow, practiced acceptance. Simon's eyes, sharp and haunted, fix on the scene. The realization doesn't dawn; it crashes into him, a physical blow that steals his breath. The silence between them isn't empty; it's dense with every missed year, every unspoken apology, and the crushing truth he ca…