it's a normal morning for Cassie and Luke, Luke starts off by going for a run around 4:30 in the morning. As he gets ready for his run, he is reminded of that morning, right before he first deployed, the day after they got married. It's been 8 years since they got married, and 7 since they decided it was a real marriage. Luke and his father were able to successfully fight the bad conduct discharge, But the corps still wanted Luke to his to serve out his full enlistment. After his initial enlistment, Cassie encouraged his to re-enlist in the reserves. After many late night conversations, that's what he decided to do. He works for the navy on the civilian side, as a physical therapy assistant. Sometimes he'll even help out at his dad's shop. He's almost finished with his reserve enlistment, and has decided to not re-enlist.
Before his run he heads down the hall and cracks the door open slightly. He peers through the door to see that Emma (named after a navy hospital corpsman who saved Luke's life after the explosion) was fast asleep. Before Luke headed out he kissed Emma's temple. Next he checked up on Frankie, sleeping in the room next to Emma's, he was also fast asleep. He kissed Frankie's temple too, and thought about how much his battle buddy, who was also his wife's best friend had missed. but he hoped the man that was reason he and his wife got married, and later fell in love; was proud of them. It took Luke a long time to get to the point where he could run for long distances again. Cassie constantly encouraged him throughout the recovery process. But last year, the family of four, headed to DC so that Luke could run the marine corps marathon. Peaches had fun with Marisol, while her humans were out of town. Cassie was so proud of her husband, She made sure that she got plenty of photos to show her then 4 and 2 year old when they got older. After a brief moment remembering how lucky he was, Luke headed out for his run.
By the time he returned from his run around 6:00, he noticed his wife wasn't up yet, so he went to wake her up. What he found next nearly melted his heart. Frankie and Ella were snuggled up along with peaches and Cassie in the bed he and his wife shared. He made sure to get a picture. He slowly woke them all up with cuddles. He told them that he had picked up breakfast tacos. They all ate on the spacious front porch outside of their nice suburban home. Cassie talked about her newest song. She was now an elementary school music teacher, who still wrote songs for the band. She got her degree, and became a music teacher, to help shape the next generation of musicians. So they could have the opportunities she never got. She can still remember her graduation day, where Luke wore the smile that he always wore when he was proud of his wife. She thinks about the photo the then family of 3 took, and how Luke keeps the picture in his patrol cap, along with the first picture as a family of four. Luke still joked about how he was her muse. In between sips of iced coffee, they talked with the kids and enjoyed the southern California sunrise. As the town began to wake up.
They later decided to have a family beach day, and loaded up the kids, toys, and peaches in the late model Subaru, that had a USMC and a liberal themed bumper sticker on it. Once Cassie put the car in drive; her right hand found Luke's left hand and held it. She had been finding comfort when she felt the metal ring on his left ring finger touch her right hand for more than 6 years. She still wore the ring her husband had made for her after his injury, except now she never takes it off. A plain wedding band that matches Luke's was added once they had a "real wedding." Before, and even after her husband's injury, they had been worn to not raise suspicions about the relationship. But now they were worn, because she couldn't imagine life without her commando by her side.
The kids made sandcastles, and played with peaches. At one point Luke and Cassie joined in with the kids and had a sandcastle building competition. Girls vs. Boys. The girls beat the boys. They had a beach-side picnic, and reminisced on past family beach trips. Luke and Cassie reminisced when they went to the beach after Luke's release, and the joy they felt that day. Especially when Luke got to put his wedding band back on, and discovered that his wife had gotten his name tattoo'd on her ring finger. Proclaiming who her heart belonged to forever.
They had been through a lot since that day; scary blood sugar highs and lows, where Luke would sit behind her on the couch, help her get the glucose gel in her system, and just hold her. Or when he would prep the insulin for her, so she wouldn't have to, and just hold her. His second deployment, where he was scared Emma would forget about him, and Cassie feared for her husband and his unit. Thankfully, she did not receive a call from the unit commander, and Luke made it home to his girls safe. Emma ran into his arms when he got home, along with Cassie. The times where Luke had to go to annual training for the reserves, and his girls and boy would count down the days until his arrival home. Cassie would make sure to send him updates.
Luke decided to drive them home from the beach, As he put the car in drive, his right hand found Cassie's left and it was his turn to grab her hand. He still found comfort when he felt the cold of the rings on her left ring finger. He had loved this feeling for more than six years, it had become part of their routine. They stopped at the cemetery to see their best friend. They walked hand and hand, with the kids, and told Frankie about how the kids and peaches were doing. After updating Frankie, the family of four headed home.
They had dinner and watched movies with the kids after they got home. It was mid august, so after the weekend Cassie had to set up her classroom. Luke always took off a day of work to help her. This year, which would be year 4 was no exception. A few weeks later it was the day they both dreaded, their oldest's first day of kindergarten. Luke always took the first day of school off work as well. This year was different. They made sure Emma looked perfect, Luke made sure to take first day of school pictures of his girls. He drove both his girls to school. he kissed his wife and daughter, made sure to walk them both to their classrooms, and told them to have a great first day and that he'd pick them up this afternoon. Later he and little Frankie got breakfast tacos and went to the beach. In the afternoon he and Frankie loaded up in Luke's Toyota, with a USMC bumper sticker on it and headed to go get the girls. When he got to Emma's classroom she sprinted to him and told him all about her day. Next up they headed to Cassie's classroom. they waited patiently for her dismissal duty but the three talked about the day. When she arrived she hugged her kids and kissed their temples, and made sure they had good days. She kissed her husband, and they headed home. In the car they all talked about their days in more depth. Luke had a surprise for Cassie: Marisol was at their house making dinner. As they arrived home, Luke picked up and carried Emma in the house, and Cassie did the same with Frankie. As they entered the garage door, peaches came up to them like always. Marisol followed peaches and asked about everyone's day.
Both Luke and Cassie thought back to their first dinner with Luke's side of the family. How Cassie remarked about how "cute and suburban" they were. Sometimes she thinks about how much Luke's world view has changed since the night they got married. They soon discovered that Marisol had invited Luke's side of the family over as well for dinner. Cassie couldn't wait to see the football game between her husband, their nephew, and their kids. Turns out they really were all cute and suburban.