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pay for tearing my family apart. Promise me that much.”
    “I promise. I won’t rest until those responsible have paid the butcher’s bill in full.”
    “Good. Now go spend what little time is left with your daughter.” She stepped forward, taking his face in her hands and gently kissing his forehead. “Wherever you go from here, remember that I love you.”
    Tears fell like rain when they embraced one another.
    “I love you too, no matter where I am.”
    ***
    Trent placed the car on autopilot in order to watch Anna sleep all curled up in the passenger seat. So much beauty and innocence wrapped in such a small package. The thought of leaving her was almost unbearable.
    She knew that her father was going away for a long time, but like many children she lived in the moment. Soon it would be time for crying but not now. These final days together were a final chance to bank enough happy memories to last them through the approaching drought.
    Whatever she wanted for the next few days she would get. Ice cream sundaes for breakfast, no problem. Staying up past bedtime, sure. It all would be small consolation for finishing the remainder of her childhood fatherless.
    It’s all I have to give her. Is it enough?
    Anna stirred when the car’s wheels made contact with the gravel coating her grandfather’s farm driveway.
    The car came to a stop. She rubbed her eyes, letting out an adorable yawn.
    “Are we there yet?”
    “Yes, honey. It’s late. I’ll carry you inside. Okay?”
    She closed her eyes and curled back up into a little ball, melting his heart.
    ***
    Trent sat on the back porch, looking up at the stars. The creak of a wooden plank gave away his father’s approach.
    “Care for a beer, son?” Dad slid the cold bottle down a shoulder.
    “Thanks, I could use one of these.”
    The old farmer slowly lowered himself into the chair next to Trent. Even with all of the automated equipment, it still took a lot out of a man to farm 10,000 acres with just his brother to help. The years of hard work under the hot Iowa sun had taken their toll on Edgar’s body. He had slowed down considerably as he knocked on eighty.
    “Lovely night isn’t it?” Edgar commented.
    “Sure is.”
    “That little spitball finally wore out?”
    “Oh, yeah. I had to carry her in again. She should sleep well tonight.”
    “I would imagine so, given the way you’ve been running her into the ground every day. You’re trying to spoil her as best you can.”
    “Just trying to make up for lost time. Want her to remember that her daddy loved her.”
    “I know, and I’m sure in time she’ll realize as much. Going to be hard on her for a while though.”
    Trent finished a long draw from his beer.
    “Of everything coming my way, that’s what scares me the most. It isn’t fair to her.”
    “Well you know what I’ve always said. Life has never been nor will it ever be fair. Life just is. You’re a soldier, and you have a job to do, an important job at that. I haven’t got much of this world or life figured out, but I can pretty much guarantee you that one day she’ll understand.”
    “I pray you’re right. How are you holding up?”
    “Oh...don’t be worrying about this old timer with all you have on your plate. I am going to miss the hell out of you, but it’s more natural for a father to say good-bye to his grown son. Just make it home. I’ll either see you then or you can visit my grave. That’s the natural order of things.”
    “I’ll do my best.”
    “Never doubted that for a second. When you two heading out tomorrow?”
    “Around lunch, we’ll drive over to Mason City and hop on a shuttle to DC. Madison is meeting me there. They’ll spend the night and see me off the next day. The orbital shuttle is taking off at Andrews’. Going to be a media circus, I’m sure.”
    “I can’t tell you how proud of you I am. I never really understood your compulsion to join the Army. Especially since we knew it was a doomed