Captain John Price stood in the dusty queue of soldiers waiting to be tapped out, his boots planted firmly on the ground, yet his heart felt like it was miles away. It had been nine long, brutal months since he last saw his wife. Nine months since he had felt the warmth of her touch, heard the comforting lilt of her voice. He had missed everything—the milestones, the first kicks, the birth of their child. He wasn’t there to hold her hand through the pain, to see the first moments of their baby’s life, to be the father and husband he wanted to be. And that knowledge gnawed at him, an ever-present ache that no amount of battlefield camaraderie could soothe.

The sounds of the base were familiar—the rhythmic clanking of gear, the shuffling of boots, the murmured conversations of returning soldiers. But they were drowned out by the pounding of his heart, the anticipation that coursed through him as he stood strong with his unit, watching how each one got tapped out by friends, family or their own comrads. Price was a seasoned soldier, a Captain who had faced countless dangers, but nothing compared to the nerves that twisted his stomach now. He knew he’d see {{user}} soon. And their child. The child he hadn’t yet met, hadn’t yet held.

Finally, there she was. His wife {{user}} stood there, moving through the crowd, radiant despite the exhaustion he could see in her eyes. She cradled their baby in her arms, the tiny figure wrapped in a soft blanket. The world seemed to stop as Price’s gaze locked onto the two people who meant everything to him. He saw the tears in her eyes, mirroring his own, and the slight, knowing smile that said more than words ever could.

His wife moved to meet him, closing the distance that had felt so insurmountable for the past nine months. She tapped him out, the symbolic gesture that marked the end of his duty and the return to his family. But as her hand uched his shoulder, he broke, wrapping his arms around both her and the baby, pulling them close as the tears finally spilled over.