On the Home Front

A Short Story - (Previously published as Christmas at Home)

World War II left the world in turmoil. And not just in Europe. Many were sent home with injuries. Would their lives ever be the same again? Ryan Burgess didn't think so.

A fist closed around Allison Monroe’s heart. She was doing the best she could, but it never felt as if it were enough. She’d do anything to protect her daughter from the realities forced on them by the war. From the void her husband's death left them.

Over the store's counter, Ryan's eyes met hers and Allison's world shifted. What eyes! Azure blue like Lake Michigan on a summer day, they mesmerized her. Held her in sway. Only her daughter tugging at her coat sleeve drew her back to the present.

Can Ryan and Allison put the horrible memories of the past behind them? Can she teach him to 'live' again after the injuries he's sustained in the war? More importantly, can Christmas work another miracle and teach them how to love again?