“Give her ten minutes then check on her, Seb.”

“Yes, sir.”

I’d never been more happy to obey an order.

I gave it five minutes, then headed for her room. When she didn’t answer, I tapped on the door and pushed it open.

Caro was curled up in the corner, her arms wrapped around the knees, muttering the same words over and over again.

“Put out the light, then put out the light.”

It didn’t make sense to me at first because there weren’t any lights in her room. And then I recognized it as a line from Shakespeare. I didn’t know which play and I didn’t care. My girl was hurting and there was nothing I could do.

I shut the door behind me quietly, then sat down next to her, pulling her into my arms. I didn’t speak, I just rocked her gently, dropping soft kisses into her hair.

After a while, I felt her body relax against me, curling into my chest.

“I’m so sorry, Caro,” I said quietly. “I know she was your friend.”

She didn’t reply, so I just held her.

Night fell and the room was filled with shadows and darkness. Outside, I could hear the sounds of men changing watch and I sighed. “I’d better go, or Grant will wonder what the hell we’re doing.”

I shifted her off my lap and started to stand up, but she grabbed hold of my hand.

“Don’t go, Sebastian, please. It doesn’t matter who knows about us now—I’m being sent home anyway. Let me spend my last few hours with you.”

I sank down again. “I was hoping you’d say that,” I admitted.

I didn’t care if it fucked up my career: Caro needed me, that was what mattered

We lay on the mattress, fully dressed, our arms and legs tangled together.

“I’m not very good at gardening,” she said thoughtfully.

I was confused by her random comment.

“What’s that, baby?”

“I can’t grow things,” she muttered into my chest. “Plants seem to wither when they see me. Can you grow things?”

“I don’t know, Caro. I’ve never tried.”

“I’d like to plant something,” she whispered, “see it live and grow.”

Now I understood: she wanted to make a garden, create life; a way of evening up the balance of loss in some small way.

I pulled her against me more tightly and stroked her hair.

“Does your place in Long Beach have a backyard?”

“Yes,” she sighed. “It could be pretty. Remember Signora Carello’s bougainvillea? Maybe we could grow something like that.”

I kissed her hair again. “Baby, I can’t even spell bougain … whatever it is, but I guess I could try. Was that the purple stuff?”

She nodded.

“Okay, baby. We can grow purple stuff.”

“And pink?”

“Sure, baby, with yellow fucking stripes if you want.”

“Okay.”

I was hoping she might sleep after that weird-ass conversation, but she didn’t. I lay watching her, but every now and then I’d see the glint of moonlight in her eyes and know that she was awake.

As dawn started to filter through the compound, I sat up slowly, pushing the tiredness away.

Caro didn’t speak as she packed up her gear, so I watched in silence.

“I’ll miss having you here,” I said, at last. “But I’m glad you’re getting the fuck out of this shithole.”

She wrapped her arms around my waist and leaned into my chest.

“Just come home safe, Sebastian. No heroics, please.”

“The only thing you’ve got to worry about is when I self-combust, especially if you’re going to send more letters like that one you wrote me yesterday.”

My dumb joke fell flat, and she tugged at my uniform.

“I mean it. Stay safe.”

I sighed and nuzzled her hair, treasuring the scent that was all woman, all Caro.

“I’ll do my best, baby. Promise.”

Then I lifted her chin with one finger and kissed her soft lips.

“Fuck, I’m going to miss you, Caro.”

“I love you, tesoro. So much.”

I held her face between my hands and gazed into her eyes so she’d know that I meant what I said. “Sei tutto per me.”

You mean the world to me.

She smiled sadly, so much love in her tear-filled eyes. But our moment was over, and it was time to go.

I carried her bag out to the quad, ignoring the stares of the other Marines. Grant and Sanders came out to shake hands with her, and several of the other guys that I’d seen her talking with over the last few days lined up to give her awkward, one-armed hugs. Probably the first and last time that I wouldn’t mind other men touching her.

As soon as we heard the helo, eight armed Marines escorted her to the pickup point 200 yards outside the compound.

Touchdown was less than five seconds and Caro was yanked inside before the helo offered too easy a target to the Taliban squatting in the foothills.

I stood and watched the bird leave. I didn’t wave.

Grant called me into his office immediately. I thought it might have been to ask me how well I knew Caro, but I guess now she was out of sight and not his responsibility, she was out of mind.

“Seb, we’ve got to move up the mission. I want you ready to move out in an hour. The Taliban know way too much about our movements. Jankowski and 14 men will go with you. Daypack for three days—leave everything else here.”

“Yes, sir.”

I saluted and headed back. I hadn’t really unpacked, so it didn’t take long to lay out what I needed for the next few days. But when I felt the crinkle of paper in my pocket from Caro’s letter, I knew what I had to do.

I was going to try my damndest to make it back, but it was never guaranteed and this mission .... I wanted to come back, I wanted to live, more than I ever had in my whole life. But if I didn’t…

I pulled out a small notebook and stub of pencil and started to write, the words coming painfully, not just because I was out of practice with putting lines on paper.

Caro, my love,

Just writing these words makes me happier than I can remember being for a very long time—ten years, in fact.

I’m not one for words—I leave that to you—my beautiful, talented Caro. But we’ve had the news we were waiting for and soon we’ll be heading out. I hope you never read this letter, but if you do, it means I’ve gone on to the next big adventure.

Knowing that you are in the world and wearing my ring, makes me the happiest man alive, and the last two weeks have been the best and happiest of my whole life.

Be happy, Caro, because that’s what you deserve.

I love you, I have always loved you, and wherever I go after this world, I will always love you. Sempre e per sempre.

Sebastian

Then I folded it up and went to the comms room to scrounge an envelope from Chiv.

He was checking over his portable Satcomms radio.

“Are you coming with us, man?”

He nodded, his face serious. “And that ain’t all. The boss is steamin’ ‘cause some ANA just turned up and he’s been ordered to send them with us.”

“What the fuck? Seriously? This is supposed to a fucking top secret mission!”

“I know. Grant ain’t happy, but the orders have come from HQ, so we’re stuck.”

“Shit!” I rubbed my forehead.

“Well, yeah,” he sighed. “Fuckin’ top brass for ya.” Then he glanced across. “You need an envelope for that letter?”

My gaze dropped to the sheet of notepaper in my hand.

“Yeah.”

He didn’t need to ask why I wanted it, he just handed one over.

I thought for a moment about what name to write on the envelope. And then, with a small smile on my face, I wrote, Carolina Hunter.

I really liked the sound of that.

We headed out twenty minutes later, two ANA guys following us. Neither seemed interested in talking and we were also moving too fast for conversation. We were all uneasy at the thought of having them with us, knowing that Grant didn’t want them anywhere near this op.