“Hannah, this is Becca, Tyler’s wife,” she said.
“Nice to meet you,” I offered.
Becca smiled at me, and we chatted for a few moments while Ava went into the back to get the bundle of hand-me-down baby clothes she was sending to Becca’s son. When she left, I headed over to the table of customers that had just come in and sat down.
I had a feeling I was really going to like it here.
3 Jordan
All around me, there was sound. Explosions. Gunshots. Screams and shouts, both to terrify and out of fear and pain. Engines roared, and metal ground against metal. It was all so loud and intense it felt like it was seeping down into my skin and rattling in my bones. Like I would never be able to get away from it. It was the sound that was becoming a part of me.
I ran. I didn’t even know where I was running. Everything was so chaotic, and the dust was so thick in my eyes I didn’t know which direction was which. If I looked down, I could barely even see my boots in the sand. But I knew I had to keep running. If I stopped, I’d be dead. Blood ran down my face, stinging my eyes and tasting metallic on my tongue.
I didn’t know where the blood was coming from. I didn’t even know if it was mine.
I was aware of pain, something burning and deep on my leg, but I didn’t pause to find out what happened. There would be enough time for that later. I needed the adrenaline right now. As long as I didn’t look, as long as I didn’t know what was going on, I could run on sheer will.
Somewhere in the glowing dust and darkness around me, I could hear my name being called. The voice was so distant and muffled by the other sounds closing in around me, I couldn’t tell who it was. But there was desperation in it. Terror and agony.
Straining through everything else for the sound, I continued to push myself forward, searching for whoever it was who needed me, whoever it was trying so desperately to get my attention.
Something exploded so close to me I could feel the heat and debris rake across my face. I dropped to the ground and shielded my head. The sand dug into my skin and got into my mouth as I tried to breathe. Finally, I tried to stand, but my feet wouldn’t get under me. I couldn’t force my legs to support me.
That wouldn’t stop me. I could still hear the sound, still hear the screaming. It wasn’t as far away now. I knew who it was. The best friend I had out here. The guy I’d been serving alongside for years and had shared experiences with no one but those of us who were out there would ever understand.
Reaching ahead of me, I clawed through the sand to drag myself forward. The heat stung on my skin, and grit mixed with the blood running down my face. But I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t just give up. Another explosion lifted me up, throwing me forward so I crashed into the ground.
More pain surged through me, and for a moment, I lay there, stunned. When my senses came back to me and I knew I wasn’t dead, I forced myself to keep going. I hadn’t dragged myself far when I realized I no longer heard my friend screaming. The voice was completely gone.
But ahead of me in the sand was a broken, crumpled body. Seeing it gave me the adrenaline I needed to push harder. I was able to get onto my knees and move forward faster. Dropping down onto the ground beside him, I turned my buddy over onto his back and saw the massive wound down his face and the side of his neck and across his chest.
I tore a bandage out of my pack to try to cover as much of the wound as I could, but there was nothing I could do to stop the bleeding.
I woke up covered in sweat, gasping for breath. They didn’t happen very often, but that wasn’t the first time I’d had that nightmare. I did my best not to spend a lot of time dwelling on that horrific day or anything else I saw during my time in the military. But sometimes I couldn’t help it. Sometimes the nightmares plagued me, and there was nothing I could do to escape reliving the horror and pain I’d experienced.
But I had learned that running right after suffering one of them took away the shaky feeling and made me feel more in the moment again. It was like it cleared my mind and brought me back into the present, rather than those difficult days. Those days were years ago now, but so often, they felt like they had just happened.
Putting on my running gear and tying my shoes, I headed out of the house without any idea how long I was going to run. I would just keep going until I felt like I was finished. That ended up being at a diner across town. It had always been one of my favorite restaurants, serving the best all-day breakfast around. I was a sucker for breakfast food. Always had been.
I convinced myself having a couple of plates full of my favorite breakfast foods would be the best way to fuel up after my long run and headed inside. At first, I walked up to the podium to talk to the young hostess standing there, but then something caught my attention out of the corner of my eye. I looked to the side and saw my brother Matt sitting in a booth by himself.
I pointed him out. “Is he here with anyone?”
She glanced over and shook her head. “No.
