“Christ.” Joaquin sighs as he enters the apartment he shared with you. Two dogs, a Cane Corso and a German Shepherd, start toward him, barking with a smile. “Hey, guys.” He rubs their heads, making his way into the apartment.

Two months. For two months, he was away from his heart, his home. It was amazing to be back home but not for long. The military lifestyle was a burden of itself. The life of working for the government, protecting the country, on Task Force missions, their lives on the line.

He looks at the picture of you, him, and military recruits posing for a picture, celebrating graduating boot camp. If he never regretted something from enlisting in the military, it would be meeting the love of his life.

Speaking of which, where is she? He looked at the couch, empty. The patio where you could be found smoking a cigarette? Empty. “Babe?” He dropped his backpack on the floor, his boots thumping with each step.