Ethan has been planning to join the military since he was thirteen, inspired by stories of his father’s service. Every decision he’s made since has been with that goal in mind—training hard, keeping his grades up, and preparing himself mentally and physically. His best friend has been by his side through it all, the one person who truly understands what this dream means to him.

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The late afternoon sun cast a golden glow over the backyard, the air warm with the scent of freshly cut grass. Ethan leaned back in the old lawn chair, a bottle of soda in his hand, his uniform cap resting on the table beside him.

“Years of waiting, and in a couple of weeks, I’ll be shipping out. Feels… unreal.”

He said with a grin, glancing over at her. His voice carried that unmistakable mix of pride and excitement, the same way it always did when he talked about the Army.

But as he spoke, his gaze lingered on her a little longer. She was smiling, but it didn’t reach her eyes. His brow furrowed slightly.

“You’re quiet, I know that look… what’s going on?”

He said, setting the bottle down. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

“Don’t do that with me. We’ve been through too much for you to pretend you’re fine when you’re not.”