Chapter 2: The Day I Was Reborn

When I opened my eyes again, it was the day I was supposed to sign up to go back to the city for college.

Sunlight spilled through the barracks window, dust dancing in the air. My old alarm clock was ringing, the smell of burnt coffee drifting in from the mess hall. For a second, I thought it was all a dream.

My teammates all teased me:

"Who doesn’t know Captain Carter’s got his heart set on Mariah? He’d never leave her to go back to the city."

Their laughter echoed off the cinderblock walls, easy and familiar. Someone tossed a rolled-up sock at my head. I managed a weak smile. But my hands wouldn’t stop trembling.

But my hand shook as I signed the form to go back to Chicago.

I pressed the pen down so hard the paper nearly tore. The ink bled. I forced myself to finish every letter. It felt like signing my own release papers—from the mountains, from her, from the life I thought I wanted.

As the last stroke fell—

—it was like a dam broke outside. Boots thudded on the floor, the door banged open, and the whole unit whooped and hollered.

Cheers and hooting erupted outside the door:

"Captain Carter! Mariah gave up her pack status for you!"

"She says she wants to marry you right now!"

The noise was deafening. Someone started banging on a pot with a spoon. The whole place felt like a high school pep rally gone wild.

A woman stood quietly in the light, looking as pure as fresh snow.

She was backlit, her hair loose around her shoulders. Her eyes shone with something fierce and honest. For a second, I forgot how to breathe.

She said, serious as anything:

"Yes."

Her voice didn’t waver. She spoke like she was reciting a vow. She was promising the world would never break her again.

"I will love you."

Those four words hit me harder than any avalanche ever could. I just stood there, stunned.

Logan Carter, I have to confirm one last time.

The admin officer’s voice cut through the haze, paperwork in hand. His brow furrowed like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He stared at me, waiting.

"Are you sure you want to go back to the city?"

His eyes searched mine, looking for any sign of doubt. I could feel the weight of the decision pressing down on me.

I nodded without hesitation:

"I’m sure!"

I said it clear and strong, surprising even myself. There was no quiver in my voice, no second-guessing. I was done letting fear make my choices.

It didn't feel real until the form was stamped and handed back to me.

The stamp landed with a satisfying thunk, red ink blooming across the page. It felt final, irreversible—a door closing. Another one swinging open somewhere down the line.

Looking at the bright red word "APPROVED," I finally realized:

I had been reborn.

For the first time in forever, my chest felt light. Like I’d been holding my breath for years and finally let it out. The future wasn’t a trap anymore—it was a road I could actually choose.

This time, I didn’t give up my shot at the city for Mariah. I didn’t stay in that mountain town.

The old story—the one where I sacrificed everything and got nothing in return—wasn’t mine anymore. I could almost taste the coffee shops and city lights of Chicago, the promise of a life that was mine alone.

I hadn't worked my hands to the bone to save her, hadn't ended up half-crippled and forced to retire.

My fingers flexed, strong and unscarred. I could still play guitar, shake hands, build something with my own two hands. I wasn’t broken this time.

I hadn’t even met Ethan, that volunteer teacher from the city.

His face was just a memory now—a ghost from another life. I wondered if he was out there somewhere, teaching kids, never knowing how close he’d come to changing everything for all of us.

I’d given everything, but I still couldn’t take his place in Mariah’s heart.

That truth stung, but it also set me free. I didn’t have to keep chasing after someone who’d already made her choice. I could finally let go.

My life had taken a completely different path!

For a second, I just sat there, soaking it in.

And for the first time, I didn’t feel lost. I felt like maybe—just maybe—I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

In a daze, I heard laughter outside. For a heartbeat, I wondered if maybe I’d finally woken up somewhere new.

The sound floated in through the open window, bright and careless. For a moment, it almost felt like nothing had changed.

The olive-green army blanket was pulled aside. I blinked, heart still pounding, as the world snapped back into focus.