As if sensing my unease, Rachel turned around and smiled kindly at me. "Don't worry, Michael. Everything is going to be alright," she reassured me. "And, anyway, this isn't the first time that we've been separated by the war, so I'm sure that it won't be the last. It's normal."
"But this time was different," I argued weakly.
"Michael, if this was a choice between losing you or saving you, I'm sure I'd choose you every single time," she responded simply. "Now come here, I need to ask you something."
Rachel leaned forward and wrapped her arms around me while I tried to resist the overwhelming desire that overcame me to lean into her embrace. As if guessing what I wanted, she gently pushed me away before saying:
"Stop pretending to struggle! You know that I don't care if you kiss me or hu
