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soon as the game is over.”
    â€œOkay,” she said as she got in bed and pulled the comforter over her body.
    Ramsey dimmed the lights and walked toward the door.
    â€œRamsey, does Malachi know Michael’s back?”
    He turned back to her and admitted that he had filled Malachi in on Michael Monroe’s surprising return.
    â€œI’m sure he wasn’t happy to hear it, was he?”
    He shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned against the door frame. “You know your brother.”
    â€œI know, and that’s the problem. I don’t want anyone to get hurt. Tell him I said good night and that I’ll talk to him in the morning.”
    â€œI will,” he answered as he started to pull the door closed. “Sweet dreams, babe.”
    Ramsey knew in his heart that the only way he could give his wife peace was to get Michael Monroe out of their lives once and for all. An hour or so later Ramsey returned to his bedroom and climbed into bed and cuddled with his sleeping wife.
    Â 
    At the medical facility, Michael lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling. It had been a grueling day, and he was glad it was over. It was after midnight, and he had a hard time closing his eyes because of the images he would see. Images of blood, death, poverty, sorrow. It was a lot to take in, especially when you were in distress and didn’t know if you were going to live or die. As he lay there, he thought of Kevin, his lover, and what he’d probably gone through over the past year, not knowing if he was dead or alive. He turned over in bed, and images of Keilah flashed in his head. Tears started running out of his eyes as his emotions overtook him. He’d hurt her unimaginably, and he wanted—no, needed—to see her as soon as possible. He needed to make amends with her for all the pain and suffering he’d caused her so he could finally get on with his life.

    A few days later, after more debriefings and a psych exam, Major Michael Monroe was finally allowed to leave the base. His uncle, Malcolm Randolph, a Supreme Court justice, picked up his nephew in a waiting limo.
    The judge hugged him and said, “Welcome home, son.”
    â€œThank you, Uncle Malcolm. Where are Aunt Teresa and Arhmelia?”
    The limo driver put Michael’s bag in the trunk and then opened one of the back doors for the pair to climb in.
    Once inside the limo, Malcolm said, “They’re making sure your homecoming dinner is perfect. You know my daughter has been tweeting about your homecoming ever since we got the great news that you were rescued.”
    â€œTechnology at its best and worst,” Michael softly replied.
    The judge laughed and said, “Everybody’s tweeting now. You know, she’ll be graduating from high school next year.”
    â€œI can’t believe she’s grown up so fast.”
    â€œIndeed,” Malcolm replied.
    â€œListen, Uncle Malcolm, I told Aunt Teresa not to make a big deal out of me coming home. I’m just glad to finally be back on American soil,” Michael revealed. “I know she means well, but I still have a lot on my mind. I’m just looking for some peace and quiet for a while. I’m not ready for a lot of people to be in my face, asking me a lot of questions about what went on over there. Everything is still too fresh, you know?”
    â€œOf course I understand,” Malcolm replied as he patted Michael on the knee. “If it’s going to be too much for you, we can cancel and do this another time, when you’re feeling up to it.”
    Michael sighed and said, “I’m sorry, Unc.”
    Malcolm pulled out his cell phone and said, “Don’t you worry about a thing, because the last thing we want to do is to make your homecoming unbearable.”
    Michael sat back and listened as his uncle called his wife to talk to her about their dinner plans.
    â€œTeresa, I have Michael, but he’s not ready to