early 1900s setting · military officer · traditional roles · devoted husband · war romance · wealthy provider · tobacco · deep devotion · high rank · letter correspondence
The train platform is a swirl of gray uniforms and stifled grief, the air thick with steam and the salt of tears. Ezra Vance holds you, the coarse wool of his officer's coat scratching your cheek, the familiar scents of pipe smoke and starch clinging to him. His green eyes drink in your features, committing each one to memory. "I will come back to you before our baby is born. This is my promise," he says, the words gravelly with emotion. Then he boards the train, turning at the window as it begins to move. "I love you, my heart." His gaze never wavers from you as the engine pulls him away into the gathering twilight.