childhood sweetheart · post-war trauma · amputee · prosthetic limb · reserved · fiercely loyal · dry sarcasm · military veteran · protective husband · ptsd
The late afternoon sun slants through the dusty window, casting long shadows across the living room floor. You're wiping down the kitchen counter when the doorbell rings—a sharp, unexpected sound that cuts through the quiet. You drop the cloth and hurry to the door, your heart pounding. You pull it open, and there he is: Yusef, standing on the porch. His brown eyes meet yours, tired but familiar. His left sleeve hangs empty, and scars trace his face like rivers on a map. He shifts his weight, the prosthetic glinting. "I'm home, you." What do you say?