Sam was putting gauze over the wound when Jodie knocked on the door. She came in and Sam left. Jodie helped Marina put on the wife beater. Marina told Sam that she would see her tomorrow at the coffeehouse, and to call her later.

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At Marina’s house in the woods Alice asked Tasha. “Tell me what you did during my first deployment?”

They both were sitting on the couch. Al had a glass of water, while Tasha was nursing a glass of wine.

“Well the first week you were gone, I worked doubles and slept at the hospital. I could not be at home or in our bed. When I got the first email from you, I was so excited to hear from you and to know that you were ok I had the biggest grin on my face all during my shift. After that night, I went home and was able to sleep in our bed for the first time in a week. The next day I went out and bought the journals for both of us. I thought it would help us both. Things were happening here that I wanted to share with you.” They exchanged journals.

“When we landed in Herat nobody even noticed, people just continued on. I thought how weird, don’t they know that we are here and going to be the difference maker. We went to the barracks, and the women in the bed next to me name was Teagan she was from Chicago with two kids at home. I asked her how could she be here with two kids at home, and she said that this is not her first conflict. She was in the Gulf War and that the army provides the life that she wants her kids to have and she gets to serve, and be proud at the same time. That night I didn’t sleep, I was excited and nervous at the same time. I lay in my bed thinking about you having coffee in the morning. Wondering what you were doing. Tasha I need to go for a walk, I am going to be by the lake.” She got off the couch, grabbed the journal and walked out the door. Tasha sat on the couch, staring at the journal for a second. She let out a sigh, and opened with both a sense of dread and hope. The date was Jan 2003: