It was a week after she and Danny had finished school for the year. Linda swung her legs as she lifted herself onto the wide railing of her grandmother's back porch.

(Danny often thought that her size betrayed her strength. She betrayed her own strength by saying "I have no upper body strength").

"So, what're you going to do now that you're out of high school?"

He shrugged and lied, "don't know."

She nodded, "fair enough. Do you want to go to college?"

He wrinkled his nose and shook his head.

"That's also fair. Why don't you want to go?"

He shrugged again, plucking a flower off the hanging pot plant. "Just not for me."

"You could go to tech school, or get an apprenticeship. People make big bucks doing that sort of thing."

"I'm gonna be a cop, remember?"

"Oh that's right. Then a detective." Linda had forgotten about that temporarily. "So what do you want to do until you can get into the academy?"

Danny sighed softly, "you're not gonna like it."

"Well, honey, short of depravity, I'll support whatever you want to do."

He walked up to her and kissed her. She gripped his shoulders when the kiss intensified. He sighed into her mouth as he slowly pulled away, "you're really the best."

She smiled as she closed her eyes. "So tell me: what dark thing are you going to do?"

She was joking- Danny knew she was joking- but that question didn't make it easier for him to tell her. He sighed and turned around, his back to her. "I'm going into the marines."

Linda blinked- it was all she could do! She didn't ever expect that from her boyfriend- he had never even given any clues to wanting to go into the Military.

Danny turned around, "say something."

"Fashion design. I thought you were going to say 'Linda, I want to go into fashion design'!"

"Don't be silly... So... what do you think?"

You shouldn't do it. It's a bad idea. What if you die? What if you come back paralyzed? What if you come back disabled? Mentally or physically or both? What if you die?!

"Linda?"

She shook her head as if it clear the million questions spinning in her head. "Uh, you know, whatever you want. I said I'd support you no matter what, and that's what I'll do."

Danny sighed, feeling a little bit better.

Linda chewed her lip, "why? Why the Marines?"

"My Dad and grandpa were both in the Marines, in Korea and Vietnam. They were heroes, won lots of bravery metals and such. I'm following in their footsteps. Only I'm not going to be an officer because I'm not going to college."

She furrowed her brow and nodded, hoping her face was betraying the way she truly felt. She forced a smile and tossed her hair behind her shoulders, "well, if that's what you want to do, who am I to say no?"

Danny watched as she pushed herself off the rail, landing with a thump. She moved past him, that faked smile still on her face.

"You hungry? I'm hungry all'a sudden. I'm just gonna... See what Nonna has in the house."

He figured he'd get a reaction like that. His girlfriend hated violence- and therefore didn't like war. He knew she was faking smiles, he knew the second he told her her demeanor had changed. She said she'd support him, but would she really?

Danny walked into the house to find Linda just standing in the kitchen. "Listen... I gotta get going."

She turned around, "you don't have to leave."

"I promised my Mom I'd stop by the grocery store to pick up dinner. So, um, I'll see ya tomorrow then?"

She smiled and nodded, "tomorrow."

His smile was a little strained as he gave her an awkward wave and turned to leave. He was halfway to the door when Linda's voice called him.

"Danny?"

"Yeah?"

She hesitated for a moment, deciding what to say. "I love you."

His smile wasn't strained this time, "I love you, too, Linda."

"I want you to know that I do support your decision. I don't necessarily like it, but if that's what you want to do... then I'll get behind you."

"Thank you, that means a lot."

"Of course... maybe tomorrow you can come over for dinner? I'll make something good- like pasta fazool."

"What even is pasta fazool?"

"It's a bean and sausage soup of Italian-American cuisine."

"Huh... well, I always say try everything once."

"That was an excellent dinner," Danny told Linda as they stood on the porch.

"Thank you. It was only my second time making schnitzel."

"It was perfect."

Linda blushed, "thank you."

"Linda?"

She turned her head towards him, curiosity playing in her blue eyes.

"I've got something for you. A... present of sorts."

"A present?" The curiosity was replaced with excitement, and he just had to smile.

Danny pulled the small object out of his pocket (he should've put it in a box or something), and presented it to his girlfriend.

Linda looked down at the delicate ring in between Danny's forefinger and thumb. It was gold (or gold plated), with small diamonds on the band. In the middle sat a delicate looking bow, and in the middle of that sat a small Diamond. It was beautiful.

"Danny..."

"It's a promise ring. That's what the salesperson said. It's kinda stupid to promise anything right now, 'cause we don't know what's gonna happen, but I know I'll come back. I just know it."

Linda was speechless, so, being nervous, Danny rambled on.

"The salesperson said it's real gold, so it won't turn your fingers green, and, um... well, the Diamonds aren't real, unfortunately- I couldn't afford that many diamonds. And I didn't know your size, so I guessed five, because your fingers are so small and thin. Not to say that they aren't nice fingers, 'cause they are-"

Linda cut off his nervous ranting with the searing kiss. "It's absolutely perfect! Thank you!" She held her hand out, and for a moment he just stared at it. "Aren't you gonna put it on, silly?"

"Oh, right." Duh. So he took her hand in his and slipped the ring into her ring finger.

Maybe some day, if they were lucky and still in love, an engagement ring would sit there. And, if they were luckier still, a wedding band would be sitting next to the engagement ring.