Chapter Fourteen
Most of his war injuries healed years ago, but the pain in his back and the nightmares of the men left behind were a constant reminder. He came home to a victory party, a grand occasion for a conquering hero, with a family-chosen fiancée waiting.
The stairs in the old, but very clean Victorian rooming house, seemed like a trip up the Grand Canyon. He needed to lie down. The exhaustion he felt from fighting the pain and coming so close to her could only be relieved with a shot of whiskey.
He opened his door and felt relief in the place that had become his home against the wishes of his parents. His parents thought he should live with them until the “right one” came along. The right one had already come along and he had missed his chance.
It was a good room with a large
