The words land inside me like sunlight: warm, bright, and undeniable.
My breath catches.“You… do?”
He nods once.Certain.Steady.
“Yeah.I love how you hum when you think.I love how you take care of everyone else, even when you’re exhausted.I love that you fill this house with warmth and plants and dog hair and somehow make it all feel like heaven.I love you.All of you.”
A laugh-sob breaks out of me before I can stop it, my hand flying to my mouth.
He looks terrified for half a second, like maybe he said too much, so I lean across the table and grab his hand.
“I love you too,” I whisper.
And I do.
I love the way he steadies me without dimming me.I love the way he’s careful with my heart, with my past, with my dreams.I love that he walks my dog, doesn’t complain when I burn the toast, and still makes me feel like the luckiest person alive.
His shoulders drop like he’s been holding up a mountain.
“Yeah?”he murmurs.
“Yeah.”
We smile at each other for a beat, our hands tangled on the table.
Then reality sneaks in.
“The distance,” I say softly.“Your schedule.Deployments.Travel.Your whole world is there, and mine is here.How do we do this?”
He nods.“I know.And I don’t want to pretend it’ll be easy.I’m still planning to stay in until I can retire.That’s… a few more years.”
My heart squeezes tight.
“I can get out earlier,” he adds quickly.“A year from now, I could separate instead of reenlisting.If this is too much for you, if it hurts you, I’ll do it.I’ll figure out the rest later.”
My chest aches at the sheer love in that offer, but I shake my head.
“No,” I say firmly.“Ledger… the SEALs matter to you.It’s part of you.And I never want to be the reason you walk away before you’re ready.”
His eyebrows pull together.“Even if it means long-distance?Missed calls?Time apart?”
I take a slow breath.“It means missing you,” I admit.“It means hard days.It means probably crying into Beans’ fur at least once a month.”
Beans huffs like he’s already accepted this responsibility.
“But it also means loving you,” I continue softly.“And I’d rather love you across states and time zones than not love you at all.”
Emotion flashes through his eyes.Raw and real.
“You’re sure?”he asks quietly.“Because I don’t want you hurting alone here.I don’t want you to feel abandoned.”
I squeeze his hand tighter.“We’ll figure it out.Calls.Video chats.Visits.Letters, if we have to.Whatever keeps us close.”
His jaw flexes, like he’s swallowing back everything he feels.
“Okay,” he murmurs.“Then that’s our plan.I’ll finish my time.We’ll bridge the distance.And one day… I’ll come home for good.”
Home.
