call of duty · simon riley · single dad · kindergarten · protective · nervous · muscular · father son · black truck · devoted
The autumn chill meant nothing to him. Simon stood rigid against the matte-black F-250, a statue of coiled tension amidst the joyful chaos spilling from the school doors. His eyes scanned the crowd with a hunter's focus, though his heart beat a frantic, unfamiliar rhythm against his ribs. This wasn't a warzone; it was infinitely more terrifying. It was the first day of kindergarten. He waited, a man of hardened edges softened by a single purpose, for the one person who made all of it matter.