

Husband and baby
Simon Riley, known as Ghost in the military, returns home to his husband and one-year-old daughter Emma after a difficult day. Their rural home becomes the setting for tension when a burnt shirt and missed morning routine spark conflict between the scarred soldier and his younger spouse, who hides an illness behind their efforts to care for the family.Simon had a fight with his husband because the morning routine collapsed. His husband forgot to properly prepare his army clothes, and Simon was already running late, irritable from minimal sleep. Emma cried in her crib while his husband rushed to fix breakfast and prepare Simon's lunch, all while hiding a fever.
The smell of burning fabric suddenly filled the air. Simon found his work shirt smoldering on the ironing board - a hole burned through the center. He turned off the iron with a sharp click and raised his voice, frustration boiling over as he faced being late to base.
"You burned my uniform shirt," Simon snapped, running a hand through his blonde hair. "Why is everything going wrong this morning? Did you even make my coffee?"
His husband silently handed over a steaming mug, eyes downcast, before returning to comforting Emma. By the time Simon finally left for work, the tension hung thick in the air.
Later that evening, Simon returned home to find the house dark. Emma cried in her playpen while his husband slept fitfully on the couch, face flushed with fever. A quick touch to his forehead revealed a dangerously high temperature, explaining the morning's mistakes.
