I Wish... - Part I

[mattbarradell]

"Peyt! Dinner!"

Peyton jumped off his superman bed and ran downstairs. His mother had promised his favourite dinner, Burger and Chips, if he managed to get a good grade on his spelling test. A B was good, not as good as she'd hoped but still good.

"Here!" Peyton called as he reached the table, sliding out the chair ready for dinner.

"You washed your hands sweetie?" His mother stood over him a plate hovering in her hand.

"Yes mum look." He produced his hands showing both sides. Clean as clean can be.

"Here you go hon, burger and chips like we promised."

"Yay!" Peyton dove in. "Mmm, is Daddy coming home soon?"

"Ask again sweetie, this time without showing me what you're eating."

Giggling he covered his mouth. "Sorry." He swallowed. "Is Daddy home soon?"

Peyton's mother looked at her son lovingly. "He said he'd be back from Afghanistan soon. Maybe next week." Peyton's father had enlisted at 18 with the British Army. He'd met Katherine just before and to his amazement she'd waited for him. Now 29 they'd been married for 9 years and had a beautiful son, Peyton, now 8. 8 and a half if you asked Peyton. "He said he'd bring us both back something from the trip. We have that to look forward to."

Katherine suspeted what she was getting. After 11 years in the army her husband had filled out a lot since they'd met and she couldn't wait to be in his arms, those large, powerful arms, again. She shuddered a little at the thought and smiled to herself wistfully.

"A present? Oooh I hope it's the new Transformer I wanted." Peyton carried on eating his burger, swinging his legs under the table, humming as he ate.

"Now honey, you know he might not be able to bring back toys. It's not really that kind of... place."

"I know Mom, Daddy being home will be enough."

'So grown up already.' Katherine felt a pang of sadness at the thought but was still happy her son knew the reality of the situation. Well most of it.

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"Hey Sam! Over here."

Seargeant Sam Harmon strode over to his friend, Lewis, and stood with him by a small market stall setup behind a shop. "Yea, what you found?"

"You're heading back home tomorrow. Wanna get something for the kid and missus." He gestured at the table in front of him. It was covered with all sorts of knick knacks and keepsakes. The old man behind smiled semi toothlessly at them.

"Well the missus is getting this." He grabbed his groin and shook it at Lewis. Lewis grimaced and shook his head.

"Sam that's gross."

"Yea but sooo true." He laughed slapping his buddy on the back.

"You buy?" The old man croaked at them.

Sam eyed his carefully. After so much trouble in Afghanistan he was suspicious of pretty much anything, from the food to the stalls in markets. Everything could blow and there was no way he was leaving his family.

"Hmmm, how much for this?" He held up a small toy, it appeared to be a wooden spinning top.

"For you? 5." The old man held out a gnarled hand that shook a little.

"5? K." He handed over some money and put the small toy in his pack.

"You two. Ship out now."

The two soldiers turned and hurried over to their commander. The old man watched them ruefully. He chuckled deeply to himself and turned and left. In Dari he whispered to himself. "One man's treasure is another's man's trash."

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Knock, knock.

Katherine wiped her hands on a dish cloth and walked down the hall. The silouette of a man in army gear was visible through the frosted glass of the door. Two thoughts struck her immediately. He's home and he's dead.

This happened eveytime Sam returned for abroad. she'd tried to fight it but she knew one of the two would always be true. This time at least she knew it was the first. She could see him flex a bicep through the glass. Show off.

She opened the door and leapt into his arms. Sam walked in kissing her hard and closed the door. Without a word shared between them he carried her upstairs to bed.

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Part II soon

Matt

[philat99]

Good opener! Lots of questions!
Mike

[scot158f]

Another awesome opener! I hope you keep going with all your stories, Matt!