Chapter 3: A Colonel Becomes a Father Again
Chapter 3: A Colonel Becomes a Father Again
Emily moved back into her childhood home.
For the first time in months, she slept through the night.
James cooked breakfast every morning despite burning almost everything.
Emily laughed.
It was the first genuine laugh he'd heard in nearly a year.
"I guess combat was easier than pancakes," he joked.
She smiled.
"I missed this."
As her due date approached, James transformed the guest room into a nursery.
He assembled the crib three different times before realizing he'd been reading the instructions upside down.
Emily laughed so hard she cried.
One evening she asked quietly,
"Dad... do you think Mom would be proud of me?"
James looked at an old family photograph.
"She'd be proud because you survived."
He placed a hand on her shoulder.
May you like
"And because you chose to protect your child."
Emily finally believed him.
