Cynthia looked up at the darkening sky. “I’ve taken my share of psychology courses and did my rotation in psychiatric care during medical school, so I understand a little bit of the psyche that he’s struggling with. The fact is, you’re not the one to help him. I know that probably hurts you.”

He frowned. “Why?”

She didn’t know how to word it without being blunt. “Because you’re in his old world, the world he can never be in again. One day, seeing you won’t destroy him. Right now is not that time. Keep in touch with him, love him, pray for him, but don’t expect your presence to be any kind of healing balm. He’s angry, and he’s facing a life he never would have picked for himself.”

A muscle ticked in his jaw, then he sighed and looked up at the sky. “You’re right.”

She laughed. “I often am.”

“I’ll remember that.” He straightened. “This was really nice.”

As they turned to stroll down the path back to the car, she slipped her arm into his. “It was. How long are you here?”

“I am officially on leave.”

She glanced up at his profile. “For how long?”

“Ten days.” He looked out over the water. “I’m planning to get home to Kentucky at some point.”

“You said that today. Home to your refuge.” She leaned into his arm. “Do you normally spend your entire leave at home?”

“Sometimes. After my first deployment, I needed some headspace, so I drove from Washington State to the Florida Keys. Took my time. I did stop in Kentucky for about five days, but then I kept going. I needed that.”

“Is that how you process deployments? Time alone?”

He shrugged. “I don’t think about it. It was what I needed to do that time. Other times, all I can do is think about getting home and sleeping under my parents’ roof, sitting in my home church, helping my father with his store inventory.”

“Ah, your normal. Sometimes your mind craves normalcy in the aftermath of horror you shouldn’t have to be a part of.”

He glanced down at her. “Another psych rotation insight?”

With a smile she said, “Possibly.”

He slowly stopped walking and turned to face her. He put one hand on her shoulder and cupped her cheek in his other hand, gently running a thumb under her eye. “Maybe you should apply some of that learning to yourself,” he said quietly. “Tell me about your nightmares.”

She tried to pull away, but he held her still. Images flashed through her mind faster than she could stop them.

“Jungle?”

“No,” she whispered. “I was never afraid in the jungle. Well, I mean, other than the time you had me drive two wounded men like their lives depended on it.”

He grinned. “You were too angry to feel fear.”