Page 75 of The Soldier's Homecoming

Penny flicked off her heels and kicked them to the ground, tucking her legs up on the bed and shuffling sideways to put her head on the pillow beside Gabby’s.

“I can’t wait for you to come home next time, Mommy,” Gabby whispered, her tiny hands clasped between their faces.

Penny pushed the words away, not ready to deal with what it’d be like next time she came home. Not capable of thinking that far ahead, about what her future would be like.

About life without Daniel.

“Have I ever told you you’re the most the important person in my life?”

Gabby snuggled closer again. “Even more special than Daddy?”

Penny bit down hard on the inside of her mouth, curled one of her feet into the other in an effort to keep her emotions at bay.

“Yeah, even more special than Daddy, because you’re my baby girl.”

“I love you as much as I love Daddy, even though you’ll be gone again soon,” Gabby said.

Penny couldn’t help the sad smile that broke out on her face. All this time worrying that she’d ruined her relationship with her daughter by her absence, upset that she loved her father more than she loved her and that they’d never recover from it, for nothing.

“I love you, too. More than anything in the world.”

Gabby stayed quiet, enveloped in her arms, breathing steadily but not yet sleepy.

“Go to sleep now, honey. I’ll stay here with you.”

Gabby didn’t say anything, and Penny held her tight, leaning backward a smidge to turn the light off.

She wished things could have turned out differently, that she wasn’t shedding tears over the fact her marriage was over.

But it was. And there was nothing she could do to change that.

Daniel had tried his hardest and she’d done her best to forgive and forget. In the end, it had all been too much.

Too much pressure with the hotel room and the champagne and the flowers. Too soon to be in that position. Too fast for her to make such a huge decision and decide whether they could ever move past this and be the Danny and Pen of old.

Gabby started to softly snore.

She had her daughter, and that’s what she had to be thankful for.

She’d survived two terms serving her country, and she was healthy and whole.

Gabby’s hair was wet against her cheek and it took Penny a moment to realize it was from her tears, that they’d fallen into Gabby’s soft locks.

Goodnight, baby girl, she mouthed silently.Sweet dreams.

This was her second-to-last full night here. Then it was back to living in an army camp, wishing she was tucked up beside her daughter’s tiny, warm body all over again.

Daniel strodethrough the door silently, but with a determination that he hadn’t felt since he’d left the navy.

He’d lost it back there at the hotel, but he’d pulled himself together and he knew what he had to do.

Daniel walked quietly down the hall, careful not to make a sound, and went through the open door into his bedroom. It was dark, and when he flicked the lamp on he saw that the bed was still made.

His heart started to pound.

Had she even come home?

Daniel hurried back down the hall, panic creeping into his mind. He pushed the door of Gabby’s room open more fully and peeked in, but it was too dark to see.

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