It was six months later and the war was still raging. Rafe and Danny had received a letter from Caroline about eight weeks earlier saying Mike, Red and Gooze were assigned to another mission. They both secretly wished they could've gone, but knew their combat flying days were over. They had a child to take care of. Maybe baby Danny didn't have a mother but he would have two fathers that loved him. It had been eight weeks since that letter and they still hadn't gotten word if their close friends had lived or died. Everyday they checked the mail four times just to make sure they got it as soon as it came in. Today was no different.
"Danny you got a letter from Annaly!" Rafe hollered up the driveway
Danny stuck his head out the front door his forehead wrinkled with curiosity.
"How do you know it's from Annaly?"
"Cause it ain't for me, and the only people that write you are Annaly or Red, Gooze, and Mike. They don't normally spray letters with perfume." Rafe held the envelope to his nose before handing it to its owner. "What's it say?"
Danny's eyes opened wide his lips twisting into his impish smile.
"She's been discharged and she'll be here next Friday."
"That's terrific man." Rafe was so happy for his best friend he knew Danny hadn't really been happy about being home, at least not without Annaly.
"Where's she gonna stay?" Danny got worried realizing there was a shortage of rooms in the house he and Rafe shared.
"In your room." Rafe observed on "Duh" tone.
"Oh no absolutely not. If I do that she's going to think I want to. No, no, no, no." Danny rambled
Rafe stared at his friend in disbelief
"You mean to tell me you two have been together for over a year and you haven't?"
"No we haven't."
Rafe nodded his head and then scratched it trying to think up a plan. His eyes fell on the beaten down old farm house across the field
"How bout we fix up your old house. Nobody's used it since your father died and the property connects to mine anyway."
Danny wasn't to enthused with the idea, not that it wasn't a good one. Danny just didn't want to go back there the place was full of old memories, painful memories.
"Let me go look and see if it's even fixable." Danny turned and stalked off toward his boyhood home.
As soon as he walked in the door he wanted to cry. He must have been standing there for an hour just remembering all the bad things that had happened here. Pressing himself to think of a good one. And he couldn't for the life of him think of one. Coincidently as he was lost in the memory of the day, his father had come home drunk as a skunk. Danny couldn't tell you what he had done wrong that day it must have been something foolish. But he could remember his father's anger he had shaken him. Shaken him unconscious. Danny felt a strong hand clamp down on his shoulder and he jumped it was almost as if his memories were coming alive.
"Danny, you okay buddy?"
Danny was afraid to turn around until he recognized the voice behind him as Rafe.
"Little Danny wants you." Rafe told him.
As Walker left the house Rafe looked around and sighed.
"It'll get better Danny."
"Danny you got a letter from Annaly!" Rafe hollered up the driveway
Danny stuck his head out the front door his forehead wrinkled with curiosity.
"How do you know it's from Annaly?"
"Cause it ain't for me, and the only people that write you are Annaly or Red, Gooze, and Mike. They don't normally spray letters with perfume." Rafe held the envelope to his nose before handing it to its owner. "What's it say?"
Danny's eyes opened wide his lips twisting into his impish smile.
"She's been discharged and she'll be here next Friday."
"That's terrific man." Rafe was so happy for his best friend he knew Danny hadn't really been happy about being home, at least not without Annaly.
"Where's she gonna stay?" Danny got worried realizing there was a shortage of rooms in the house he and Rafe shared.
"In your room." Rafe observed on "Duh" tone.
"Oh no absolutely not. If I do that she's going to think I want to. No, no, no, no." Danny rambled
Rafe stared at his friend in disbelief
"You mean to tell me you two have been together for over a year and you haven't?"
"No we haven't."
Rafe nodded his head and then scratched it trying to think up a plan. His eyes fell on the beaten down old farm house across the field
"How bout we fix up your old house. Nobody's used it since your father died and the property connects to mine anyway."
Danny wasn't to enthused with the idea, not that it wasn't a good one. Danny just didn't want to go back there the place was full of old memories, painful memories.
"Let me go look and see if it's even fixable." Danny turned and stalked off toward his boyhood home.
As soon as he walked in the door he wanted to cry. He must have been standing there for an hour just remembering all the bad things that had happened here. Pressing himself to think of a good one. And he couldn't for the life of him think of one. Coincidently as he was lost in the memory of the day, his father had come home drunk as a skunk. Danny couldn't tell you what he had done wrong that day it must have been something foolish. But he could remember his father's anger he had shaken him. Shaken him unconscious. Danny felt a strong hand clamp down on his shoulder and he jumped it was almost as if his memories were coming alive.
"Danny, you okay buddy?"
Danny was afraid to turn around until he recognized the voice behind him as Rafe.
"Little Danny wants you." Rafe told him.
As Walker left the house Rafe looked around and sighed.
"It'll get better Danny."