Page 7 of The Soldier's Homecoming

He had been such an idiot. A fool.

If he could turn back time, change the decision he’d made, he would do it in a heartbeat.

But there was no changing the past.

Even if it did seem like a long shot, no matter how strained things might be between them, he still believed.

In the power of love. In the strength of their marriage.

He dug his heel into the top of his other foot. Stomped down hard, trying to fight the hot rush of tears as they pressed down hard, burning at the backs of his eyes.

Daniel wiped hard at his face, knuckles into his eyes.

He wasn’t the kind of guy who cried, couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt the sting of tears pierce his eyeballs.

He only had six and a half days to make Penny fall in love with him again, and he was going to make the most of every single minute.

Because he loved his wife and he wasn’t going to walk away without a fight.

2

PENNY made her way back down the hall. She didn’t know whether to be smiling or frowning. Laughing or crying.

Part of her was so overwhelmingly happy about being home, yet it was heart breaking at the same time. She’d never resented her four years of service, not when the army had given her so much, but being here with Gabby made her realize how much she was missing out on. How much she just wanted to be a mommy.

She saw Daniel sitting on the sofa, feet up on the coffee table as he watched a game of football, volume down low.

“Hey,” she said, letting him know she was standing behind him

He flicked the television off and swung his feet down.

“Where’s Gabby?”

Penny moved slowly around the edge of the sofa and sat down in the chair opposite. She stifled a laugh. Getting Daniel to turn a game off wasn’t usually so simple as her walking into the room.

“She fell asleep while I was reading a story to her. I hope that’s okay?”

She had no idea if she even napped during the day still or not.

Daniel smiled. “Yeah, that’s fine. She wouldn’t go to bed until late last night because she was so excited about you coming home, and she was up at the crack of dawn this morning.”

“Me, too,” Penny said, yawning. “It’s been a long twenty-four hours.”

Daniel nodded, leaning back, like he was starting to relax.

“I still remember my last trip home. It seemed to take forever, but it’s worth it in the end, right?”

They stared at one another, so much unsaid. So much to say.

But right now it was easier to skirt around certain conversations.

“Do you miss it?”

She’d been wondering for so long.

“Yeah,” he said, and she could see the honesty shining through his eyes. “Yeah, I miss it, but I think being home’s worth the sacrifice.”

She bet it was. It she’d had the choice, she’d be home, too. Had thought she would have been.

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