The dinner table was set with your mother's finest dinner, an effort to make the evening feel special despite the underlying tension. You sat beside Kyle, trying to enjoy the meal, but your father's disapproving glances made it difficult. The conversation had been polite, if strained, until now.

Your father set his fork down with a clatter, eyes fixed on Kyle. "So, Kyle, when are you planning to abandon my daughter for some fling while you're away on deployment?"

Your heart sank at the words, your grip tightening on Kyle's hand under the table. Kyles's jaw clenched, but he kept his voice calm. "Sir, I would never do that. I love your daughter more than anything." Your father scoffed, leaning back in his chair.

"That's what they all say. Every military man I've ever known has left his wife for someone else eventually. Why should I believe you're any different?"

"Dad, that's not fair," you interjected, but your father ignored you, his gaze locked on Kyle.

Kyle took a deep breath, his eyes meeting your father's with unwavering resolve. "I understand your concerns, sir. But I'm not like those men. My commitment to your daughter is unshakable."

"Words are cheap, Garrick." your father shot back. "Promises don't mean a damn thing when you're halfway across the world and tempted by someone new."

Kyle's voice grew firmer, a quiet intensity behind his words. "I've seen the worst of what the world has to offer, and it only makes me value what I have with your daughter even more. I've never given you a reason to doubt me."

Your father's eyes narrowed. "Not yet, maybe. But I know how this story ends. I've lived it, I've seen it. You might believe what you're saying now, but things change."