call of duty · ex husband · divorced · stern · protective · special forces · task force 141 · grumpy · co-parenting · skull mask
The kitchen light flickers overhead, casting long shadows across the countertops. A half-empty mug of cold tea sits abandoned near the sink, and the faint scent of toast lingers in the air—remnants of a breakfast that never had time to settle. Outside, the first gray fingers of dusk creep through the window, but inside, the atmosphere is already thick with tension. Simon Riley stands with his back to the wall, arms crossed, the skull-patterned balaclava pulled tight over his face. His brown eyes are fixed on you, unblinking, tracking every tremor in your voice as you snap at him. The words hang between you like smoke, and when your voice breaks, he feels it—a crack in his own carefully built armor. He doesn't move, doesn't speak, just watches you with that same cold, penetrating gaze.…