She pulled back, hands framing his face. She looked at him with those same brown eyes that had watched him ship out to the Middle East and Europe. But they’d been younger then. Back then, they hadn’t had a mortgage, or four kids with soccer practice and orthodontist appointments.
“You come back to us,” said Maria. It wasn’t a request. It was an unspoken order.
He smiled. “I always do.”
Maria held his gaze for a second. “I’m serious, Ramon. You come back to us.”
He kissed her forehead, breathing in deeply. Maria smelled like vanilla perfume mixed with hospital antiseptic. It was a familiar aroma that brought him comfort.
She sighed, then motioned with her head toward the family room. “Come on. Let’s tell them together,” she offered, leading him into the chaos of domestic bliss.
After a moment, Maria had gathered everyone in the living room. Ramon had done this before, but it never got easier. Miguel paused his game, which was a minor miracle. Sophia closed her math book. Isabella and Carlos continued building a tower between them on the carpet.
“Kids, Dad’s got something to tell you.” Maria’s hand found his.
Ramon cleared his throat. “You know how sometimes Dad has to go away for Army stuff?”
“Are you deploying?” Sophia asked, too perceptive for twelve. “Is this like that time when you went to the Philippines a few years ago? Or when you went to Romania?”
“Yeah,
“I know where Poland is,” Miguel piped up. “It’s next to Russia and Ukraine. Are you fighting Russians?” he asked.
“No fighting — no one is fighting anyone right now,” Ramon tried to reassure them. “We’re just going over to do some training, and making sure everyone stays friendly.”
Carlos looked up from his blocks. “How long?” he pressed. The hardest questions always seemed to come from the smallest voices.
“A few months, buddy. I’ll be back before you know it.”
“But you’ll miss my tournament.” Miguel’s voice cracked. He was caught in that stage between being a boy and a teenager.
“I know. I’ll try to watch online if I can.”
Isabella crawled into his lap. “Can you take Whiskers?” she asked, referring to her stuffed cat that she carried with her everywhere. It was worn threadbare from love. “So you won’t be lonely?”
His throat tightened. “That’s a great idea, princess.”
“This is because of what’s on the news, isn’t it?” Sophia asked. Once again, she was too smart for anyone’s good. “I heard on the news that the Chinese and Russians are doing something big in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.”
Maria intervened, saving him from answering. “Dad’s job is to keep us safe, Sophia. Sometimes that means going places to make sure nothing bad happens.”
“Like a superhero,” Carlos announced. “Except with tanks — a tank superhero.”
“Something like that,
They talked until bedtime. Sophia wanted to make sure that he packed his winter gear because it would be cold there. Carlos was confused about the time zones and was amazed that when it was bedtime at their house, Ramon would be eating breakfast. And Miguel wanted assurances of staying connected.
“We’ll video chat every chance we get,” Ramon promised.
Finally, Maria herded the younger ones upstairs. Sophia lingered, curled next to him on the couch.
“You’re scared,” Sophia said. It wasn’t really a question, more of a statement.
Ramon considered lying but decided against it. “A little, I suppose. It seems tensions have been building for a while now. I don’t know what it all means, but it’s generally not a good thing when lots of military units from opposing sides are in such close proximity to each other.”
“Yeah, Lisa’s dad mentioned something like that the other day when he said her uncle was going to England for a few months. He’s a fighter pilot in the Air Force,” his daughter explained. “I think Mom’s scared too. She only drinks beer when she’s worried.”
Ramon laughed softly. “Wow, you think your mom is that easy to read?” he teased.
His daughter shrugged. “I don’t know about that. It’s just about the only time I see her drink one of your beers.”
“Huh, you’re pretty good at noticing things, aren’t you?” he asked.
“Well, someone has to when you’re gone,” she answered nonchalantly.
He smiled at her. “My little soldier. I like it. Hey… can you promise me something?”
She looked up at him, nodding slowly.
“Go easy on your mom, and your brother. I need you to step up, help take care of your mom and the littles till I get back, OK?”
She smiled. “I always do.” She hugged him tight, kissed him on the cheek and headed upstairs, leaving him alone with the weight of leaving.
Later, in their bedroom, Maria lay against his chest. The house was quiet except for the hum of the air conditioner.
“Remember when you first deployed?” she whispered. “It was 2018. I was so scared, I threw up every morning for a week.”
“You were pregnant with Miguel.”
