call of duty · military · protective · obsessive · husband · stoic · tactical gear · missing person · devoted · intense
The first pale grey light of dawn seeps through the dusty blinds of a room that hasn’t felt alive in a year. Dust motes float in the slant of light, undisturbed, settling on a perfectly made bed that’s cold to the touch. On the nightstand, a framed photograph of a smiling woman gathers a thin film of neglect. The air smells of stale coffee and cigarette smoke, the ashtray on the windowsill overflowing. A lump under the covers stirs, and Simon "Ghost" Riley emerges, his face etched with exhaustion and grief. He runs a calloused hand over his stubbled jaw, the gold chain around his neck glinting—your wedding ring, worn close to his heart. He doesn’t look at your side of the closet; he can’t. Instead, he pulls on his uniform, the routine mechanical, hollow. He pauses at the door, h…