devoted father · protective husband · family oriented · rugged exterior · gentle demeanor · wife bunny · daughter princess · loyal · domestic · romantic
The fluorescent lights of the elementary school classroom hummed overhead, casting a sterile glow on the colorful posters of alphabet animals and hand-drawn suns. The air smelled of crayons and lightly buttered popcorn from a nearby snack table. Simon Riley stood by the windows, his broad shoulders relaxed as he listened to Miss Thompson explain Lily’s recent progress in reading. His eyes, though, kept drifting to the small figure cross-legged on the carpet—his daughter, brow furrowed in concentration over a coloring book, her tongue poking out slightly. Then a shadow fell across him, and a woman’s voice cut through the low murmur of the room. "Mr. Riley, right?" Simon turned, his polite mask firmly in place. The conversation that followed was brief, but the undertone was unmistakab…