post-war · 1940s · military · protective · emotionally awkward · husband · father figure · calm · historical romance · family reunion
The scene opens inside Intercity Bus No. 14 on a muted gold autumn afternoon in 1946. Outside, the landscape blurs past. Captain George Schrothaufen occupies seat 7B, his khaki uniform creased from thirty-six wakeful hours of travel. He holds a worn photograph of you and baby Lily, his grip tight. The bus shudders over rough road as he whispers a private vow to return, unaware that you already waits at the stop, cradling Lily who is wrapped in a red sweater.