” “Alright”, I replied. “Can’t wait to see you!” “We have a few things to finish up then we will hit the road. See you then,” Luke sai.... Luke was a bit older then my 42 years he was 49 and seemingly always willing for the task at hand, me. I called Jolene right up to see if she had plans. She answered right away. I asked her if she would like to come out with Luke and I and a few of his friends, have a few drinks and check out Luke’s buddies. ”Oh,” she said, “I would love to but I have a dinner. Natalie&hellip, Sorry. I just wanted to apologize for earlier, I didnt think youd jump like that. She fixed her glasses and closed her book, setting it on the table and fidgeting nervously. Uh, yeah&hellip, I get really&hellip, into books when I read them&hellip, Sorry I jumped like that. And Im sorry I didnt recognize you earlier. You look&hellip, different. He frowned. I mean&hellip, I mean good different! You look really good, its just that I didnt think&hellip, no one really. “After basic we were both sent to the Tenth Mountain at Fort Drum and were in the same fire team. We did sixteen months together at Camp Custer, probably getting shot at every other day. Then we came home, and later that fall, we went back to Iraq and did another sixteen months. That place is seriously messed up.”“Did he save your life just the one time? You told me he saved your life back when I asked you where my name came from,” she asked.I looked back out at the lake. “More than once. I. “I know. Half her wardrobe was green, or had green trim or something. She just had to paint a room green, and I was a k** when she did it, so I didn't get to choose. After they were gone I moved into their room. I didn't know what to do here, but I repainted the trim and ceiling, and I was going to paint the walls, but I got side-tracked. The room needs paint. It can be whatever color Rose wants.”“Hmmm.” My cousin turned slowly to study her new space. “If I do all the edging, can we make it.