Page 113 of Brighter Shades of Light

I was helping deal with the aftermath of it all, and so I wasn’t around my laptop to see the ten missed calls from Sebastian or to respond to his several panicked messages. When I finally had time to talk, I called him. The internet had been wonky lately, and I didn’t trust a video to load, so I opted for the audio only call.

“Cody?” Sebastian answered. I had never heard him sound so distraught.

“Hey, baby,” I said, finding more comfort than I thought I would in hearing his voice.

“It’s all over the news that there was an attack on the US-Afghan base in Helmand.” His voice cracked. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

I couldn’t tell him about all the shit in my head. I had taken down one or two of the rebels. And I felt nothing. They were the enemy, and I would take them all down if I had to.

“I’m fine,” I said. “Everything’s fine.”

It had to be.

Chapter 29

Sebastian

“Baby, I’m coming home.”

They were the sweetest words I had heard in almost a year. My Marine was finally coming home. I couldn’t wait to pull him into my arms and kiss him. Nine months of anxiety over whether he’d be okay was nearly at an end. I only had to wait a few more days.

However, the days following his announcement passed slowly, the hours dragging on. Sleeping was difficult. Doing anything other than waiting by the computer for an update was even more so.

I cleaned the whole house and stocked the kitchen with groceries to make all of Cody’s favorite meals. The exact time of his arrival wasn’t known yet. His unit was placed on a waiting list and assigned a flight window, so I wouldn’t know for certain for another three days or so. When I finally found out, I took off work for the day and scheduled an appointment to cut my hair. It had become a little ungodly over the months, and I wanted to look nice after not seeing Cody for so long.

On the morning of his homecoming, I couldn’t control my nerves. I fussed with the buttons on my shirt and spent forever fixing my freshly-cut hair. I cleaned my glasses and then cleaned them again.

Cody was flying into an undisclosed air base, and then he would board a bus with the other Marines in his unit. He texted me once he landed.

Cody:Hey, Dr. Vale ;) heading to base now.

I was already at the field on the base when I received his text. Waiting. The March morning was a bit chilly, so I stayed in my car. Other families around me did the same, though some of them stood on the lawn and held up signs for their military loved ones at the reunion site. Excitement was on their faces. Joy.

One woman was already tearing up, watching the road with a trembling chin.

I sucked in a breath. My nerves were shot, and I couldn’t stop shaking.

Cody:We have to check in our equipment first and then we’ll be there.

My anxiety grew. Until I actually saw Cody right in front of me, I wouldn’t be able to relax. Anything could happen between now and then. It wouldn’t be real until he was in my arms.

I turned off the car and went to stand with the other family members on the grass. It was the same spot where I had said goodbye to Cody all those months ago. Now, it would be the place where we came back together.

“Momma, is that them?” a little boy yelled, pointing toward an approaching bus.

My heart stopped. I focused on the bus, not even realizing until now that I was bouncing a little in place, as if ridding my body of the budding nervousness.

Cheers erupted around me as the bus stopped in front of us. Signs waved in the air, welcoming the unit home. A banner hung from the building behind me, saying the same. I stared at the bus door as it hissed and opened.

As the first Marine stepped off, he was met with excited yelps and hollers. More uniformed men and women stepped off the bus next, their families rushing toward them with happy tears in their eyes. A young woman pounced on an equally young Marine, crying into his shoulder before taking his face and kissing him.

A camera flashed as a woman who I assumed to be a Family Readiness Officer snapped photos of the reunions. She was the one who organized the homecoming.

My feet carried me closer to the Marines still filing off the bus, and I held my breath as I searched the faces, looking for one in particular.

Where are you, baby?

More Marines stepped off, none of them my Cody. I began to panic a little.