pte

al Crack

aptain Elia

lence and polite professi

and quiet, like ice underfoot. The kind of bre

it started betw

a scream

ht, a creaking floo

l, I couldn't sleep. Not that sl

o shut down. My br

d scraping the siding and the ancient groan of the boiler downstairs. I'd repaired t

one leg twitching in some dream that probably involve

ulled on a sweatshirt, and

aged during renovation. I walked barefoot toward the kitchen, more out of habit th

yi

olled. But u

ming from

, as if caught intruding. When

hest, a stack of yellowed envelopes in her lap. Her hair was pulled l

her a seco

all night?" she asked

re if I shou

h the sleeve of her swe

ser, slow.

laugh. "That's a

, not too close. The silence settled between us

tters?"

ining, from deployment, fro

my knees, staring in

one of mine,"

d at me,

now? The kind they send if you don't come home. I wrote mine three t

d. "Did you

"Didn't have anyone

it was easier than explaining

e talked about you in almost every letter. How you looked out for th

yed s

he said, voice soft but stea

sed m

deserve it

kno

ng. It didn't. I

puffy but clear now. "You

ry d

made the call that sent

sita

"It was me. I g

sibly. She just sat the

that," she said

't want

hy

think you'd come

er si

You wer

and left

n't f

up. Left a note on the fridge about site in

ding the subfloor, hammering in silence, le

aning out the old storage r

behind some charred crates. Locked.

ded photographs, and beneath

ddressed

eath

fingers shaking, and u

eyes half-closed, and he was looking at her like she was the only thing that ever made

t it for a

x, took the photo, a

laptop, glasses perched low on her no

throat. "I fo

e, then at what

this," I said, and placed

at it for

, fingers trembling

id you g

Hidden behind

holding back tears. "I

ire didn't tak

ble. "This was... this was right before he lef

odd

n carefully, like it

she said, her

ed to be standing next to in this project. Or this marriage. But I

oked u

cold edge. Just tiredness. Sadness. S

id. "I wanted to. For years. I

. "I und

see the man who gave the order. I see

the air between us no lon

even h

dinner together f

nd bread. S

Lily fed him scraps when s

call her

shed the dishes w

nt, our ha

of us pu

a moment.

was som

in bed, the hous

like

a place be

st the

t

ver u