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K night sat on his bunk and waited for his contact. After fourteen months, Rahimi’s second-in-command, Marghai, finally came out of his hole. Since news of Rahimi’s death the month before, insurgents vied for his position, making them use drastic measures. Intel proved he kidnapped a bunch of schoolgirls and hid them inside his camp. In a matter of days, Marghai’s men planned to vanish with their victims. Knight must eliminate the threat before they moved.

The assailant must’ve felt his days seemed numbered since he appeared two days early. After months of tracking down every lead, Knight found him. With the pull of a trigger, he completed his mission. He packed his bag and now sat on a carrier to the States.

Instead of feeling excited, he felt numb. The CIA terminated his contract after he took out the threat. Knight made the deal for him and Gabby. The friction with his job didn’t end when he came home. It seemed when he returned from a deployment she led an incredible life without him. Their home changed with each spin-up. She knocked down walls, added new paint, andadorned the front with a cheery flower bed, making it appear like a happy family lived there. Instead, he walked through the doors, toured their house to see what idea she implemented and then waited for her to return from the diner.

This time, he returned home to an empty shell of a house. The flowers outside disappeared with the winter. No colorful blooms decorated the front and everything appeared dismal, which seemed to reflect how he felt inside.

“I bet you can’t wait to touch down. Congratulations, Knight,” one of the men tapped his shoulder, returning him to reality.

“Yeah,” he replied as the carrier took off. The empty crevice where his heart used to beat felt hollow.

With nothing to return home to, he wondered about starting over. He and Gabby visited his sister, Bryanna, and fell in love with Seattle. A plan formed as they discussed moving there once he retired. They wanted to try for two kids at five years, move to Seattle and live happily ever after.

Maybe one of those plans still might work. The mere thought of returning to the house Gabby made into a home sent a boulder into the pit of his stomach.

When the plane landed, Knight reported to his contact. They confirmed the completion of his assignment and acknowledged his exit paperwork within the next few weeks. He picked up his phone and called his sister, Bryanna.

“Hey Baby sis, how’s it going?” he greeted her when she picked up the phone.

“Hi, Marcus. Did you finally make it back and plan to come see me?” she asked excitedly.

“Soon. I wondered if I might crash at your place for a while. I’m selling the house and searching for a place in Seattle,” he announced.

“Oh, I’ll love having you closer. I have some news of my own. Saint and I got married and we’re having a baby,” she gleefully announced.

“What? No way! Congrats, sis. Doesn’t he have a daughter?” he asked.

“Yes. We have Miya or AKA Nugget. The family’s grown since your last visit,” she informed him. “I don’t live inside the bakery. Saint purchased a house a block away with a backyard for the kids. He and the team plan to put a swing set up in a few weeks when it gets a bit warmer.”

“Maybe I’ll be there to help by then,” he suggested.

“How’s it going?” she asked earnestly. “Have you heard from Gabby?”

“No. We’re waiting out the six months to make it final. She got her stuff while I spun up and I haven’t heard from her since. I’m sure she’s with her boyfriend.”

“She called here. I didn’t answer. I’ve lost all respect for her after what she did to you,” Bryanna confessed angrily.

“I feel the same way. I gotta run. I’ll text you once I get situated,” he said as he pulled the keys to his truck from his pocket.

“Love you. We can’t wait to see you,” Bryanna sing-songed as he hung up.

It brought a small smile to his lips. Pulling the visor down, a card fell into his lap. Pulling it from the envelope, he noticed Gabby’s handwriting.

“Welcome home. I’ve missed you. Love, Gabby.”

Knight grunted. She seemed to have a funny way of showing how much she missed him.

Bryanna’s question haunted him. Gabby did reach out, three days after he kicked her out.

Marcus, we need to talk. It’s important.

She texted.

Anything you want to speak about can be handled through my lawyer.

He responded.

Three dots appeared and disappeared before her text came through.

I need to speak with you.

My lawyer will be in touch.

Knight responded.

He watched as the three dots appeared and then she didn’t text him again. He wondered what she wanted to talk about after three days of no contact. Considering how much time he spent deployed, three days of not seeing each other occurred all the time. Yet this time, it felt like forever. He picked up the card and his finger traced her handwriting, wondering when she left it. Knight knew he let her down over the last year, but not enough for her to betray him, especially after knowing how he felt about his dad.