A man emerged slowly.
Sun-tanned face.
Short hair.
Travel-wrinkled clothes.
A duffel bag over one shoulder.
For half a second, Emma did not understand what she was seeing.
Her brain knew that face from screens.
Photographs.
Video calls.
Memory.
But those versions of him were flat.
Small.
Contained by rectangles.
This man was standing under the Oklahoma sun.
Emma’s dandelion fell from her hand.
“Daddy?”
Mateo Martinez stopped.
His duffel slid from his shoulder.
Emma screamed.
Not words.
Just sound.
Her hands slammed against the wheels.
She pushed forward.
Too fast.
The front caster caught a crack.
Cole instinctively moved.
Mateo reached her first.
He dropped onto both knees in the gas-station lot.
Emma crashed directly into him.
Her arms went around his neck.
Mateo buried his face against her hair.
Neither spoke.
Everyone else disappeared emotionally.
Rosa cried openly.
Denise turned away.
Ben removed his sunglasses and wiped his eyes while claiming something had flown into both of them simultaneously.
Cole stood beside his motorcycle.
Still.
Watching.
Emma finally pulled back.
She touched Mateo’s face.
“You're real.”
Mateo laughed through tears.
“I think so.”
“You said you didn't know.”
“I didn't.”
“You lied!”
“Only for twenty hours.”
Emma hit his shoulder.
Then hugged him again.
“I caught a fish.”
“I saw.”
“You missed it.”
“I know.”
She pulled back.
“You missed everything.”
The words landed differently face-to-face.
Mateo’s smile faded.
“I know, Bug.”
Emma began crying harder.
Mateo did not tell her to stop.
He did not defend himself.
He held her.
“I’m sorry.”
“I don't want sorry.”
Mateo looked toward Cole.
Cole gave the smallest nod.
Mateo remembered what Emma had said in the video.
He looked back at his daughter.
“What do you want?”
“You.”
He pressed his forehead against hers.
“You've got me today.”
“For how many sleeps?”
Mateo breathed.
“Thirty-seven.”
Emma went still.
“What?”
“Thirty-seven sleeps.”
“Then what?”
“I have to leave again.”
Her face changed.
Mateo continued before she could collapse into the disappointment.
“But after that rotation, I'm transferring.”
“Where?”
“Home.”
“Home home?”
“Home home.”
“You swear?”
“I swear.”
“Not soldier promise.”
Mateo smiled.
“What kind?”
“Daddy promise.”
He placed one hand over his heart.
“Daddy promise.”