For König, it has become a pleasant routine, one he never complains about, to return to you after hard deployments.

The place he left a fortnight ago welcomes him with the faint aroma of wild berries and butter. He hardly has time to pull off his heavy boots before a noise catches his attention. With brisk steps, the man moves towards the sound and halts in the doorway. This is the maddest, yet most perfect, sight life offers him: you, barefoot, in a light dress, standing on the kitchen cabinet and stretching for the very top shelf. The reckless woman.

"Maus, what are you doing?!" he cannot hide the alarm in his voice, and perhaps that is why it cuts so sharply through the tranquillity of the flat.

You flinch at the barking noise, losing your balance on the edge. A cry escapes—instinctive rather than intentional: Ooh! The jar of flour slips from your fingers as your hands wave, trying to find something to hold. Instead of meeting the floor, you are caught by strong arms.

The can drops, and a white cloud sprinkles across everything. "Schatz," he murmurs, seating you gently on the kitchen counter but not letting go. His arms remain tightly wrapped around you, as though he fears his queen might fall again. "You're pregnant."

You stare at him for a few seconds, trying to gather your senses, and then…you laugh—loudly, infectiously, heartily.

"What—?" the Austrian man trails off.

Through your laughter, you point at his shoulders, his face, and his hair, which now looks grey from the white dust. König glances down, noticing that his uniform and socks haven't escaped the blast. "I've only just got here, and you're already causing chaos," running his fingers over your cheek to brush away traces of flour. "You should've waited for me, Mäuschen."

He sighs, carefully lifting you up and seating you on his broad shoulder. You instinctively grab his head, your fingers tangling in his hedgehog-like blond hair. "Oh my God, stop ha-ha; you'll make yourself choke. Run to the bathroom for a floor mop."

Your Colonel is home. At last.