"Damn, it feels nice to be home," I murmured as I sipped my beer slowly.
"Derrick, the city missed you," Nick replied.
"The city may have missed me, but I'm afraid I doubt many others did."
Nick and Bryan were my best friends. I have known these guys since high school. When I left to serve, they stayed, formed families, and went about their traditional path to creating a normal life. Elizabeth, Nick's wife, was expecting their second child. Bryan was engaged to be married.
It was difficult to persuade either of them to join me tonight, but I had no family, no friends, no one. In this universe, I was pretty much alone. I felt like I'd pushed them to come out, and they'd been hesitant at first, but eventually agreed. They must have felt terrible for me.
"Oh, we're all just too busy, you
