“Just what? Tired? Overwhelmed? Welcome to the Academy, Midshipman. We're all tired. We're all overwhelmed. That's not an excuse.”
Jack's jaw tightened. “Yes, sir.”
The coach studied him for a long moment. “You got something going on I need to know about?”
“No, sir.”
“Because if you can't handle the demands of being here and playing for this team, you need to tell me now. I can't have players who are only half here.”
The words hit Jack like a punch to the gut. He thought about Rachel, about the phone calls he couldn't take, about the guilt that sat heavy in his chest every time he had to choose between studying and talking to her. He thought about Melissa's words. About the impossibility of trying to give everything to the Academy while also trying to hold on to something hours away.
“I can handle it, Coach,” Jack said. But even as the words left his mouth, he knew he was lying.
That night, Jack sat on his bed with his phone in his hand. Rachel's contact photo stared back at him. Her smile. Her eyes. Everything he'd been holding on to for months.
He knew what he needed to do. Knew it with a certainty that felt like drowning. Then he set the phone face down on his desk and stared at the ceiling, his chest tight with the knowledge of what was coming.
Melissa was right… the Academy didn't leave room for much else. And if Jack was going to survive this place and become the officer he'd committed to becoming, he couldn't keep splitting himself in half. The decision settled over him like a weight. Heavy and heartbreaking.
But inevitable.
7
Rachel shifted her backpack on her shoulder as she walked across the Eastern Shore Community College campus, the late spring sun warm on her face. Almost two years down. She'd done it. Ready to finish her associate degree with good grades, new friends, and a clearer sense of who she was becoming. She was working toward her degree in education. She loved the idea of teaching young people, and it hadn’t escaped her attention that she would be able to use that degree anywhere Jack was stationed.
But it would mean three more years to obtain her master’s degree. As she approached the parking lot where Jack's old truck waited, her chest felt tight with an emotion she couldn't quite name.
He leaned against the driver's side door, dressed in jeans and a USNA T-shirt that seemed crisp despite the Virginia heat. When he saw her, his face lit with that smile that still made her heart skip. Even after years together and everything they'd been through, Jack could undo her with a single look.
“Hey, beautiful.” He pushed off from the truck and pulled her into his arms, lifting her slightly off her feet.
Rachel wrapped her arms around his neck and breathed him in. She was addicted to his scent and still slept with one of his T-shirts to keep it close to her. “I missed you.”
“Missed you too.” Jack set her down but didn't let go, his hands settling on her waist. “How was your last exam?”
“Good. I think I aced it.” She studied his face, noting the new lines of exhaustion around his eyes. The Academy was demanding. Baseball season had just finished, but between practices, games, and his coursework, Jack barely had time to breathe. “How long do you have?”
“Just the weekend.” His expression shifted, something heavy moving behind his eyes. “I need to spend time with my parents. And Beth and Carson.” His parents had another baby now, and he adored his young siblings.
“Of course.” Rachel knew he was right and forced brightness into her voice. “You need to spend time with them. I'll be fine.”
“Rachel.” Jack's thumb traced circles on her hip. “I want to see you too. Shiloh and Joseph are going away for the weekend, right?”
She nodded. Joseph had planned a surprise trip for Shiloh, whisking her away for a romantic weekend at some bed-and-breakfast in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Joseph’s parents were keeping Shiloh’s little ones, Alex and Rebecca. Rachel was happy for them. They'd gotten married during her freshman year in high school and started a family. Seeing Shiloh so in love had filled Rachel with joy. But she was thrilled she and Jack would have the house to themselves when he could spare the time alone this weekend.
“I'll call you after the family stuff,” Jack promised. “Then I’ll come over?”
She breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. “Yeah. That sounds good. We’ll have the place to ourselves.”
He walked her to her car and kissed her properly. Long and sweet and full of promise. “I love you,” he whispered against her lips.
“I love you too.”
They stood there for another moment, neither wanting to let go. Finally, Jack kissed her forehead and released her.
Rachel settled behind the steering wheel and drove to the house she shared with Shiloh and their family. Her thoughts roamed to the upcoming time with Jack. But underneath the normalcy, Rachel felt a distance growing. Not just the physical miles between Annapolis and Baytown, but something deeper.
Their time together was precious but also rare. She accepted the changes in their relationship... new friends and experiences that she wasn’t a part of. Their lives were separate, only intersecting during brief phone calls and visits home. Thank God for email… that allowed her to connect with him whenever she could, knowing he’d do the same.
