It’s a different world after the second great war, and a nurse catches up with an old beau while she’s visiting family to see if they might still have something with each other. Originally printed in FC 2016’s conbook, with the theme “Classic American Diner.”

Today’s story is “Going Home” by friend-of-the-fireplace Crimson Ruari, who has short stories in Heat 14 and CLAW 1 and you can find more of his stories on his webpage.

Read for you by Khaki, your faithful fireside companion.

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You’re listening to The Voice of Dog.

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I’m Khaki, your faithful fireside companion,

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and today’s story is

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“Going Home” by friend-of-the-fireplace Crimson Ruari,

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who has short stories in Heat 14 and CLAW 1 and

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you can find more of his stories on his webpage.

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“Going Home”

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by Crimson Ruari

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Her sister's new car rolled smoothly down George Street.

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Jen patted the dash fondly;

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it was a '52 Ford Victoria,

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and her sister had made special arrangements to loan her the car for a few days while she was in town.

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It might have been last year's model,

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but it was very nice, and it fit their budget.

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When she got back, she'd owe Alice and Mike a nice dinner.

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Perhaps a celebratory dinner,

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perhaps not. She'd find out soon enough.

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She turned the radio off

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and enjoyed the remainder of her drive and let the sounds of the town join her through the open windows.

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She'd been away for a long time.

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About six years. A long six years,

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between nursing school and the war.

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Now that Korea was over,

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she was on her first leave anywhere near home since she'd left right after high school.

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She'd already been to see her parents,

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out north of Ranson.

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It had been good to see them, and good to catch up, though

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she'd managed to keep up with them in letters.

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They were a little older,

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but just as vibrant as ever.

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She'd even had a little time to catch up with her father one-on-one and swap war stories.

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Her mother hadn't wanted to hear it,

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having had enough of war with the last one,

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when their father had been called up while she'd kept the house going

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and raised Jen and Alice.

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That was what had driven her to become a nurse;

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she wanted to do what she could to see that as many men got back to their families as possible.

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She turned east on to Washington

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and drove through downtown Charles Town.

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A late afternoon, it was fairly quiet;

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the traffic was mostly wives running errands and a few drivers making deliveries.

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Small groups of high school kids strolled the sidewalks,

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lightly bundled against the classic October hint

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of winter's chill.

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She smiled. It hadn't been that long ago since she'd been one of those girls on a favored boy's arm, but it felt like half a lifetime.

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Just down the hill from the racetrack,

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she saw the sign for the diner where she'd arranged to meet Dan.

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The Mountain View Diner was aptly named, since just about everywhere in West Virginia had a mountain view.

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It must have gone in while she was away, but Dan had been right:

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she really couldn't have missed it.

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She did nearly miss the turn for it,

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as it was set back off an unassuming side street.

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It was a good thing the road was empty, because she tested the brakes rather thoroughly.

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Turned out, they worked just fine.

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Gravel crunched under the tires as she pulled up.

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There were a few cars out front, but she didn't see Dan's old Chevrolet,

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but maybe he'd parked it around the other side.

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Heck, maybe he drove something different now.

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She hadn't thought to ask.

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Or maybe it was just that she was early.

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Jen got out of the car and smoothed her uniform,

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brushing out the influence of the long drive.

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She settled her service cover between her ears

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and looked at her reflection in the window of the diner.

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She thought she cut a rather fetching figure,

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a tri-color smooth collie

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in olive jacket and knee-length skirt, silver bars of a First Lieutenant just barely glinting in the overcast light.

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She grinned; she'd earned her silver bars, and she'd make Captain soon if she decided to renew her commission.

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Of course, that was all part of why she was here.

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She had enough of admiring herself and went inside,

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tucking her cover under her arm

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she crossed the threshold.

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The bell over the door announced her presence,

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and she was greeted almost immediately by a short,

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white-furred waitress in an almost painfully-pink uniform.

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"How ya doing, honey? How many?"

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Jen paused and looked around.

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She didn't see any sign of Dan,

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and as a Bernese, he'd have stood out.

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"Just me for now, I guess.

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My friend should be joining me in a bit, but I'm rather early.

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early." The waitress shrugged.

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"Well, as you can see, we're jam-packed,

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but I'll find you a spot.

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spot." Jen looked around.

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There was an older dog working on a sandwich at the bar, and in one corner, a couple seemed to be sharing a dessert.

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She found the waitress looking at her expectantly, so she grinned.

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"That's mighty kind of you.

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you." The waitress chuckled and led her a short walk to a booth by the windows.

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Jen settled herself on the seat that faced the door.

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She placed her cover on the seat beside her.

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"My name's Maggie. I'll be taking care of you today.

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As you can see, we're full up, but I'll try to stop by when I can.

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Can I start you off with something to drink?"

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Jen chuckled again.

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"Slow day, eh? A coffee would be great.

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great." Maggie's tail wagged behind

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her. "Sure is. Gotta keep myself entertained somehow.

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I'll be right back with that coffee.

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coffee." Maggie walked away,

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and Jen glanced at the menu, then set it down.

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She wasn't up for food just yet.

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She'd spied a jukebox when she walked in,

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and she went over to go look at what it had.

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It held a collection that reminded her of

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high school dances, with their safe songs. Well,

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mostly safe. The Ink Spots and Glenn Miller had pleased the chaperones, and she admitted a great fondness for their music.

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There were newer songs, too.

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"Blue Tango" had been popular in the canteen when they'd

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finally gotten a copy.

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She dropped in a dime and pressed buttons for that and

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String of Pearls.

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She walked back to her seat with a little extra sway in her step

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and her tail as the music started.

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Maggie had just finished pouring her coffee and gave her a quizzical look.

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Jen guessed that song was a little lively for the regular crowd,

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despite being wildly popular.

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She just shrugged and smiled as she returned to her seat.

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"Thanks." "Sure, honey. Waiting on a hot date?" "Hm. Maybe?" Maggie quirked

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an eyebrow.

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"You'd think a girl would know.

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But I guess that's your problem.

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problem." Jen nodded. "That it is.

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I haven't seen him in a while, so who knows?"

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Maggie patted her arm. "Well, good luck.

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luck." Jen just smiled as the waitress walked away.

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She took a sip of her coffee, then closed her eyes and settled a little deeper into her seat,

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relaxing as the music washed over her.

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Tires crunched through the gravel of the lot, and she looked up when the bell over the door rang.

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Dan stepped through.

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He was a tall, solidly built dog, with the classic black pelt and white-striped muzzle with rust cheeks.

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He'd always been a handsome dog,

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and he seemed to fit his black sheriff's deputy uniform perfectly.

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She stood and waved as he looked her way.

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His face lit up, and she felt her tail wag at the response.

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They embraced, and Dan nearly crushed her in his arms.

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She nipped his neck gently,

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and he let up. He grinned and licked her cheek. "Hey Jen!

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It's great to see you again!"

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She smiled and licked his muzzle in response.

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"And you. It feels like it's been forever.

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forever." She rubbed a paw over the arm over his shoulder.

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"This looks good on you.

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You didn't tell me you'd become a deputy."

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"Well, it was a short phone call, and you caught me by surprise.

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surprise." He seemed to remember he was holding her

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and stepped back suddenly.

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"And what about you?

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I see you got into the Army Nurse Corps!"

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She smiled and took his paw,

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guiding him to sit across from her.

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"That I did. But that was three years ago!

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You hadn't heard?"

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He grinned. "I run into your dad from time to time, sure.

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He told me, but I just didn't quite believe it until I saw the uniform.

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You look good in it.

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Happy." Her tail thumped on the seat.

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"That I am. It's good work, and I seem to be good at it.

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it." He chuckled. "Nobody doubted you would be.

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You don't do anything by half measures.

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measures." She squirmed a little.

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Even from Dan, she'd never been great with compliments.

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There was always something she could do better.

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"And how long have you been a deputy?"

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"Oh, about four years now.

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I knocked about after school for a couple years, then figured I'd try this and see how it goes.

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goes." Jen rubbed her thumb lightly over the back of his paw.

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"And do you like it?

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You look happy." He smiled at her. She could

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hear that big,

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feathery tail thumping on the seat.

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"I am. You know I've always loved it here,

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and now I get to help out.

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It's a good feeling.

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feeling." He covered her paw, sandwiching it between both of his.

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"What brings you back here?"

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"With the war over, I'm cashing in some of my leave to visit folks.

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I have another year left on my term, but I might renew.

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I've loved the work.

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I wanted to see if maybe this was still home."

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"Still?" His ears perked as he leaned across the table.

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"Jen, it's always been your home.

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home." She smiled and lifted his paw to kiss his fingers.

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"I don't know anymore, Dan.

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I'm not the same girl as when I left;

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I haven't been home in six years, between nursing school and then the war.

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I was in a M.A.S.H. pretty much the entire time.

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It wasn't a nice thing, but it was good.

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I want to keep doing it.

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it." He looked at her,

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ears drooped. Dan had always had the best brown eyes,

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and she'd always had trouble even wanting to say no to him.

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"You know, we have a new hospital here.

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They could use more experienced nurses.

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nurses." She chuckled. "I know!

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Right after I went away, typical!"

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He grinned. "Well, it's here now.

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And I'm here. I've missed you.

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you." Jen opened Dan's paw

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and kissed the pad at the center.

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"Oh, Dan, I've missed you, too.

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But surely there've been other girls.

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You're a nice guy, and damned handsome,

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and you have a good job.

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job." It was Dan's turn for wryness.

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"Flatterer. There have been a few, but none of them stuck.

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The job is demanding, you know.

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You probably better than most.

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most." She sighed. "Yeah." "What about you?

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You're even more gorgeous than when you left.

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left." She chuckled. "Like you said,

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the job's demanding.

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I certainly met a lot of guys,

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but they were all so needy: 'please

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save my arm,' 'please don't let me die.'

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You know the type.

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type." Dan barked a laugh,

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then tried to cover it as a cough. "Ah. Ahem.

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You were always a little terrible.

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terrible." He grinned. "I think you might be worse now.

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I like it." She grinned again

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and kissed his paw.

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"Thanks. I don't think it's going away.

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away." She stared at him for a moment, taking in the way his black fur flowed into his uniform, and those

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soft, brown eyes she'd always loved. It had been

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a long time. She shook herself to break the spell.

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"We should eat! I'm famished."

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They passed an early supper with catching up.

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Dan's family had always been good for stories, and that hadn't changed.

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She shared what he hadn't already heard from her family,

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which wasn't much.

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He'd clearly kept up better than she had.

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She supposed that wasn't much surprise.

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Her sister lived down near Washington, and she was pleased to have something to share he didn't already know.

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She told stories from nursing school and the officer prep course

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and even a few from the war.

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Dan regaled her with tales from the law enforcement academy and from the job.

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Jefferson County clearly hadn't changed much since she'd left.

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She watched Dan as the sun slipped towards the mountains,

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catching him in that early sunset glow as he told a story about one of the town's stupider drunks getting himself in trouble.

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That was Charlie:

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a good guy when he was sober, which was rarely,

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and a clown when he wasn't, which was frequently.

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It was sad, but he never caused any real trouble,

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and he was always kept the deputies guessing about what he'd do next.

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She wondered how much he did it for the attention.

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She stared at him for a time in silence before realizing he'd stopped talking

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and was looking at her expectantly. "Hmm?"

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He chuckled and leaned over the table to lick her muzzle.

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"I said, you look like you're somewhere else entirely.

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What's on your mind?"

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She grinned and reached out to ruffle his cheek fur.

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"What says I wasn't just lost in watching you?"

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Dan leveled a look at her that must have served him well as a deputy;

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he was clearly skeptical. "Mmhmm.

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We dated steadily for what, three years, before you left?"

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She sighed. "Yeah. About that."

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"So I know when you've got something on your mind.

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Besides, your ears are tucked back.

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What's wrong?" Dan's observations called her attention to the sinking feeling that had been growing in her stomach.

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"I guess I was just thinking about how much this place has stayed the same."

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"But you haven't. There's a lot more steel and drive in you than there was. And that's saying something!"

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He grinned at her,

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his tongue lolling out of that big muzzle of his.

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She smiled. "I guess so.

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so." She stared a moment longer,

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then stood quickly.

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"But let's dance! We haven't danced in,

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well, I guess six years.

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years." She didn't wait for him,

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but went over to the jukebox and dropped in a quarter.

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She considered it for a moment, then pushed the buttons for those songs she remembered from high school dances,

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those pleasantly long nights of slow dancing in Dan's arms.

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Dan stood when she returned, and they settled into that old,

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familiar embrace.

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The sunset lit them both

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as they stood in the empty diner's aisle,

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and the needle settled onto the first record.

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First the singer,

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then the violins,

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and then they stepped together.

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"You must remember this,

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A kiss is just a kiss,

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A sigh is just a sigh.

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The fundamental things apply,

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As time goes by." Dan gave a soft, rueful bark and nosed her ear.

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His breath was warm on her short fur when he spoke. "Hmm,

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I have a guess what you're thinking.

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thinking." Jen smiled and nuzzled at the fur of his neck.

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"And what's that?" "You're going to renew.

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renew." She sighed. "Yeah." She looked up at him.

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"You know I still love you, Dan.

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Dan." Dan smiled, then licked her lips.

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"I love you, too, Jen.

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But it's not enough, is it?"

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She pressed her muzzle against his,

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and they danced in silence for a moment.

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"Not for me. I'm sorry.

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sorry." He held her a little tighter.

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"I'm not surprised.

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You've changed, Jen.

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It's good for you, but I don't think you're ready to stay here right now.

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Maybe not ever." "Yeah.

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"Yeah." She looked up at him.

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"Do you remember when we first heard this song?"

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He lapped at her muzzle again.

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"Of course. Eighth grade,

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Casablanca had just come out.

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It was my excuse to ask you out.

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I'd been looking for something for a while.

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while." She chuckled. "And you picked a movie?

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I loved it, but, really?"

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"I got tired of waiting!"

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Jen licked his cheek.

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"Well, I'm glad you did.

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did." They rocked through a slow turn.

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"It's feeling a bit

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prophetic, right now.

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now." She chuckled. "I suppose it does.

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does." Dan sighed. "I'll miss you, Jen,

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but I guess it's best for us both.

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I'm happy here, you wouldn't be.

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I wish you only the best.

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I'll always love you a little.

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little." Jen smiled and licked at his lips.

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"God, Dan, you know I feel the same about you.

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But I can't stay,

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I'd go crazy." "Yeah.

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"Yeah." They danced as the sun set.

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The last song finished, and they stopped.

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Jen looked out the window.

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It was pitch dark, and she saw their reflection,

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Dan in his uniform

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and she in hers.

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They were a picturesque couple,

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if only they had a future.

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She pressed herself against Dan and kissed him firmly.

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They held the kiss as long as they could,

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but finally stepped apart.

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She gathered her cover and tucked it back under her arm,

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then fished a handful of quarters.

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Dan tried to object as she put them on the table,

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but she laid a paw on his arm.

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"Let me get it, Dan,

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just this once." He smiled quietly

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and gathered his hat from the seat,

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then followed her out.

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They paused by her sister's car.

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A white ford with Sheriff markings was parked next to it.

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She leaned in for one more kiss,

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then stepped back,

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giving his paw a squeeze.

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"I love you, Dan. Take good care of yourself.

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yourself." He squeezed hers in return.

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"Love you, too, Jen. Knock 'em dead.

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Er, maybe knock 'em alive?"

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His tail wagged and he shrugged.

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"You know." She wagged in response and smiled.

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"I do." She opened the door to her car and paused.

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"Goodbye, Deputy Williams.

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Williams." He raised a paw to his hat and tipped the brim.

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"Lieutenant Roberts. Ma'am.

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Drive safe, now." He stood there as she backed out,

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watching her. She pulled out to the intersection and turned left towards 9.

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It would take her back to Washington,

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and she wanted to go before she changed her mind.

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She caught a last glimpse of him as the road took her by the diner again.

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He'd be fine. She'd be fine.

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They'd be fine, just separately.

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It hurt, but they both knew it was for the best.

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Dan had his county to serve,

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and she had her country.

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This was “Going Home”

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by Crimson Ruari,

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read for you by Khaki,

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your faithful fireside companion.

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For more stories you can find us wherever you get your podcasts, or on the web at thevoice.dog.

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Thank you for listening

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to The Voice of Dog