We stepped out of the truck and went up the stone pathway. Maya unlocked the door, revealing bright, sunlit rooms.
Large living-room windows faced the oaks, and the backyard had room for Elena’s dreamed-of vegetable garden.
Maya ran through the empty rooms, laughter echoing off fresh walls. “Daddy! My bedroom has a window that looks at the big tree! Can we get a puppy now? Can we?
“Yes, baby,” I choked out, wrapping my arm around her shoulders as she leaned against me. “We can get a puppy. We can have a garden. We can have a real home again.”
Captain Hayes stood in the doorway, watching us with satisfaction in his eyes. His family’s fourteen-year debt had finally been honored with grace and love.
“Daniel is smiling down on us today, Marcus,” Thomas said softly. “He always said the bravest men are the ones who come home and keep fighting for their families every single day.”
We returned to Virginia the next week only long enough to pack our few belongings, give notice on our small rental apartment, and say goodbye to our old life of quiet struggle.
