Her hair swayed in the breeze, tickling the back of her neck
She was lounging in the hammock, under the tall beach tree
I could only see her back from where I was standing, but by the curvature of her neck I guessed she was reading
It had been 175 days since I’d last seen my wife
And now I was frozen, unable to move
She looked so peaceful, so beautiful
So soft and distinctly different from the active war zone I’d just left
And she didn’t know I was home
-Layla-
I spent most of my evenings in the hammock, enjoying the late August sun
Today I was reading, but sometimes I’d knit, or draw, or just watch the birds
I was trying to take my mind off the fact that it was my second wedding anniversary today, and I had no wife to spend it with
But all of a sudden I head a sound behind me, and turned my head
“Jasmine!” I cried, all but falling out of the hammock
She gave me the biggest grin I’d ever seen as she ran to steady me
I threw my arms around her, burying my face in her neck
And I started to sob with relief
