Page 80 of The Soldier's Homecoming

He felt the wetness of her tears against his chest, and hated that he was so powerless to take away her pain.

“I wish leaving weren’t so hard.”

“I know, baby, I know.”

And he comforted her the only way he knew how. By holding her deep in his arms, lips to hers, and wishing he’d never have to let go.

“Why is it going to be different this time, Danny?”

He let his chin rest on the top of her head.

“Because we’re going to talk, and tell each other when something’s wrong or when we’re struggling.”

He listened to her sigh. “So no more being brave and acting like everything’s okay when it’s not.”

Daniel dropped a kiss into her hair. “We need to talk as often as you can, and I’m going to keep a diary of what Gabby and I do every day. So you don’t feel like you’ve missed out while you’re away.”

She grinned and looked up at him. “And you have to ask for help if you need it, okay? From your mom or Tom.”

He groaned. “Not Tom.”

“Okay, not Tom. But you need to speak up if things get tough. And when your boys are back, you need to hang out with them. Just like you need to make sure you keep up your air time.”

Daniel stroked his thumb across Penny’s cheek.

“Why did we not have this conversation before you left last time?”

There was a dampness in her eyes. “Because we were so busy trying to pretend like everything was going to be okay, and we didn’t want to admit that there could be cracks.”

Daniel didn’t have to think when Penny’s lips found his. Instead, his body moved against hers, responding naturally like they’d never spent a night apart.

Penny being away was never going to be easy, but they were both committed to making it work, and that’s all that mattered.

It’s why he knew that they had a real chance at being happy and in love all over again. Stronger than before.

Penny foughtto keep her chin high, shoulders squared. Unlike when she’d arrived, now she wore her army fatigues. And this time she’d let Gabby come with them.

Daniel had been right, it was silly to keep it from their daughter. She might only be five, but she had the right to be proud of her mother, deserved to know why they’d be parted for months again. Serving her country was something to be shouted from the rooftops, to be shared with Gabby. She’d been scared to tell her before in case it worried her, but she was too young to understand what could happen in a worst case scenario.

Seeing her mother in uniform today had put a smile on Gabby’s face, and anything that helped take the edge of pain off their parting today was worth it.

“Is there anything I can do?”

Penny shook her head and held Daniel’s hand tighter.

“The last time you held my hand that tight you were giving birth to Gabby.”

She sunk her head down onto his shoulder and tried to program the scent of him, the feel of him, into her memory bank.

“How do you always know how to make me smile?”

Daniel dipped down to hoist Gabby up, planting her on his hip before slinging an arm around Penny’s shoulder.

“It seems like forever now, but we’ll be together soon,” he said. “And we’re going to talk andwritethis time, too, right?”

Penny cuddled into them both, bending forward to kiss Gabby. She wasn’t going to say anything to the contrary, not while Gabby was listening. The last thing she wanted was to upset her when she was being so brave.

But personally, she was terrified. At the thought of leaving, at the worry of what had happened last time she’d been away. Whether she was strong enough to cope without her family, and whether they were strong enough to cope without her.

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