My love life lacked thrill, but I knew why. I couldn’t seem to connect with anyone after the accident… Murphy had been the love of my life, but I didn’t realize it at the time. Young and dumb that’s what I was and I’d lost her. A stab of regret shot through my body as Delphia’s image flashed through my mind. Losing the love of your life sucked. Both of them had the same silky, straight hair. It was uncanny to me.
Sleep hadn’t called me yet, so I kicked my shoes off and decided to watch a movie. As soon my butt hit the couch, a phone call came through. “Keys? What the hell?” I scooted up on the couch, wondering why he was calling me so late.
“Hey, hey. There he is. I know—it’s been a while, man,” Keys punched out with enthusiasm.
“Hot damn. It has. Mannnn, this is great. Good to hear from you. What have you been up to?” I asked. Keys was one of my guys that rolled with me in my unit during my army days.
“Welp, we got our four-year reunion coming up. I know you remember that, right?” He sounded enthusiastic as always.
“Yeah, I do. Where are we holding it this year?” I asked.
“My plan was coming down your way, right to your neck of the woods,” he suggested. “Holbeck looks like the place. How about that?”
“That’s a great idea. It’s pretty nice down here in autumn. Make sure you bring your bug spray. The mosquitos will come for your ass and then some. Nice fat juicy ones.”
“Mosquitos are the worst. We got bears though, here in Wisconsin.”
Keys was the rugged, outdoorsy type so it didn’t surprise me he was wrestling with wildlife up there. “Well, I’m a bear, so I’m going to say that you win on that one. I know what we’re like. Grizzly at best.”
Keys laughed. “Yep. I remember some of those mornings in training, you acted like a bear with a sore head.”
I groaned as I recalled the mornings before sunrise when I’d pulled myself out into the deep, dark cold of the night to run through god-forsaken swamps and disgusting rank waters. “Don’t remind me! I don’t wanna think about it.” I loved my army days for what they taught me, but I didn’t want to go back to them, that was for sure.
“I feel ya. I don’t wanna remember much either. That was hell on earth, but we made it through. We did good,” Keys reasoned.
“Yeah, we did. Have you guys already talked about this? When are you coming through?” I was getting pumped to see my brothers. I missed the bond forged on the battlefield. “I can’t wait. Let me know all the details as soon as you can.”