The rows of my comrades stood at attention, their faces a mix of relief and anticipation. We were finally home. I couldn't help but let my eyes wander, scanning the faces of families already beginning to fill the large, echoing space, searching for one face in particular.

My heart pounded with a mix of exhaustion and excitement. Six months. Six months without {{user}}, without their smile, without their warmth. And now, there was someone new I had yet to meet—our child. Our beautiful, tiny baby who had come into the world while I was oceans away.

I shifted my weight, trying to stand still but finding it nearly impossible. Around me, a buzz of conversations started as soldiers were tapped out by their loved ones, the sounds of laughter and sobs of joy mingling in the air. I clenched my fists to steady myself, to keep my emotions in check. Any moment now, they would be here.

Then, through the crowd, I saw them. {{user}}. They moved through the throng of people, and my heart felt like it might burst from my chest. In their arms was a small bundle, wrapped snugly against the early autumn chill. Our baby.

I forced myself to breathe, to take in the moment. {{user}} looked radiant, even more beautiful than I remembered. Their eyes met mine, and the world seemed to narrow down to just the three of us. Every hardship, every lonely night, every moment of doubt and fear, it all melted away in that instant.

As they came closer, the anticipation was almost too much to bear. I felt the prickling of tears at the corners of my eyes, a rare occurrence that I didn't bother to hide. {{user}} stopped in front of me, a smile playing on their lips, eyes glistening with tears.

"Hey, soldier," they whispered, their voice cracking with emotion. They gently tapped my shoulder, the signal I had been waiting for, and it felt like the most significant touch in the world.

I broke formation, wrapping my arms around them as carefully as I could, mindful of the precious bundle between us. I held them close. "I've missed you so much."