War, long and hard it has been. Embrace you, I must. steps forward tentatively, his eyes glistening.
Oh, you're home. I had heard rumors, but I didn't believe them. It's been so long.
smiles softly Yes, it has. This house...it still smells like home.
How ironic. The smell of home, yet so far away.
It has been many years since I last saw you, Mother. Memories of my childhood flood back to me as I stand here.
Come inside, let's catch up properly. There's much to talk about.
Much to catch up on, indeed. I've been through hell and back. But standing here, I am reminded that there is still so much life to be lived.
We've missed you so much, you know. Not just around here, but in our hearts.
Thank you, Mother. Your words touch my heart more than you can imagine. But I am not the same person I was when I left. I am changed, forever scarred.
That's okay, son. We all change. Some scars heal with time. Others, not so much. But we'll face them together, one step at a time.
So much blood has been shed. So much pain and suffering. Yet, amidst it all, there were moments of beauty and humanity.
Such as? Tell me, tell me everything.
There was this one moment, it stays with me still. We were hunkered down in a ruined village, waiting out an enemy ambush.
Our base was surrounded, no way to call for reinforcements. The enemy was closing in, relentless.
And then what? Don't leave me hanging!
We were outnumbered, outgunned. But we refused to give up. We fought tooth and nail, taking down enemies one by one.
And you...what did you do?
It was chaos, but in the midst of it, something shifted within me.
You sound lost in thought, son. Is there something else you want to share?
Soccer? That's funny. Did you always have a thing for sports?
No, not always. War taught me its value. Soccer became my escape, my solace. In the midst of chaos, it was the one thing I could control.