After he poured a cup of tea, he pulled his notebook out of his duffel bag and started making a shopping list. He ought to check his messages and voice mails, but he didn’t have the energy. He also should probably go to chapel. He never missed unless he had to. But this morning he didn’t feel like it. Instead he headed to the commissary and the PX to fulfill his shopping list.

His phone chirped as he parked his car. He saw Bill’s number. Bill hadn’t deployed with them for medical reasons. They’d shared a couple of emails, and over time Rick had let go of any resentment he had toward Bill. In doing so, he discovered that he’d really missed his friend.

“Hey,” Rick answered as he got out of his car.

“Hey. You up for dinner?”

“No, man. Can we do it tomorrow instead?”

“Sure. I have to report at oh seven, but I should be free about seventeen hundred.”

“That will be perfect.” He slipped his sunglasses off as he walked into the PX. “It was strange being in the field without you. Didn’t realize how much I relied on you.”

Bill scoffed. “It was weird being here without you. For about the same reason.” When he spoke again his voice lacked any humor or irony. “My meemaw died.”

The breath went out of Rick. “I’m so sorry. I can change plans. We can meet tonight.”

“No, dude. Tomorrow is good for me. It’s been a few weeks.”

“If you’re sure.”

“Sure like a squirrel with a peanut.”

With a grin Rick said, “Whatever that means.”

“Yeah. That’s a fail. See you tomorrow.”

Rick grabbed a cart and rolled into the PX. He needed shower curtains, bath rugs, and garbage cans—the things he always replaced with a move. On his way to the home section of the store, he passed a candle display. The smell of lavender suddenly assaulted him, and he froze in his tracks.

He’d managed to go about three hours without thinking of Cynthia. An ache suddenly manifested in his chest, and he rubbed it with a fist, trying to make it go away. When would this end? It had been months and it just never stopped.

After clearing his throat with a harsh sound, he went to the furniture section to price rugs. Then he worked his way back through the store and found the rest of the items on his list. Once he checked out, he headed to the food court.

While standing in line at the chicken place, he heard the musical sound of laughter, and his whole body froze. His hands turned cold and his heart started pounding.