She burst into laughter though stopped suddenly, gazing up into my eyes. "You know, my brother used to say the same thing."

"Marines are hard bastards. Have to be. It's the life we led. But having families and people we love keeps us grounded. We can switch off when we're comfortable."

We held hands the entire way home, glancing to see her return a shy smile each and every time. Part of me wanted to stop and tell her everything. Who I really was. How much I still loved her. How much I still loved Amy, Hannah, Emma... How much I missed everyone. How I still carried guilt for ensuring...