Page 41 of Back to You

Once the clock hit 10:50, Brandon bustled back out of the kitchen. He noted absently there were new stick figure drawings at various heights along the wall. No one ever said Marcus was the second coming of Van Gogh.

Brandon and Marcus resumed their vigil at the counter, staring intently out the front window.

Eventually, their persistence paid off when in walked one Sgt. Steven Westbrook.

“Hey man!” Brandon cried, dashing around the counter to hug his brother-in-law.

“Hey!” Steven glanced around the cafe. “You didn’t tell her I was coming?”

“No, you said you wanted to surprise her. She’s in her office.”

Marcus walked over to give Steven a bro-hug. “I’ll run and get her, just a sec.”

Customers were starting to notice their enthusiasm over the man in the army uniform. Everyone loved a good return from deployment.

“Marcus, who is it?” Michelle had her head turned to look back at Marcus as she walked through the door. “I’m in the middle of something.”

Marcus grabbed her and physically turned her toward the cafe. Brandon watched as his strong-willed, steel-spined sister crumbled. Her eyes were immediately brimming with tears as she stared at the husband she hadn’t seen in nearly a year.

“Steven?”

“Honey, I’m home?” He grinned sheepishly.

Suddenly Michelle was running at a speed Brandon had never seen from her. She latched onto her husband with both arms and legs, wrapping herself around him as she burst into tears. From around the cafe came applause as the watching customers celebrated the happy couple.

Brandon had been filming to show Ethan and their parents later, but now he put down the phone. This part was private. He walked over and gestured Steven to follow him back to the kitchen, where he gave the couple a few moments to be alone.

“That was satisfying,” Marcus said happily.

“Yeah, I’m just glad he’s home. I know she doesn’t show it, but it’s tough on Michelle when he’s deployed, especially these really long ones.”

Eventually Steven stuck his head out the door. “Hey, mind if I take Michelle home?”

“No man, please. I’m going to run over to the office and close everything out for her. Hey, I made double chocolate chunk cookies, let me throw some in a bag for you.”

“Oh my God, I’ve dreamed about those cookies,” Steven said wistfully.

“Want me to go get the kids from school later?”

“Would you mind?”

“Not at all, here.” He handed his brother-in-law the bag of cookies and gestured toward the door. “Y’all get going.”

Steven ushered a still-weepy Michelle toward the front door. A couple of customers thanked him for his service on the way out.

Brandon and Marcus held down the fort until Brandon went to grab the kids from school. He didn’t tell them their dad was home — let them enjoy the surprise. He dropped them at their house and headed back to work.

Steven was home, Michelle and the kids were happy. And Ethan was getting off work at 5 tonight. This is a good day, Brandon thought.

***

Ethan tidied his desk as 5 p.m. neared. This would be the first time in months he was leaving at 5, it was so exciting!

“Look at you, actually getting ready to leave at a reasonable hour,” Nia said, popping into his office.

“I know, I almost don’t know how to handle it. I feel like security is going to rush me when I try to walk out the door and escort me back to my desk.”

“Well that’s just sad.” Nia crossed the room to sit in a chair. “What are you planning for your first night of freedom?”

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