Ben smirked and shrugged, stuffing his hands in his pockets. He looked dashing, cavalier, without a care in the world, though his eyes hid a heaviness and sadness behind their twinkle and spark.
"Thought you could use backup. That, and I'm a terrible listener."
Wade laughed again, shaking his head as he looked Ben over. "Goddamn, I can't believe it. I mean, I can believe it, but I didn't think …"
He was still smiling, though it shifted, colored with unsaid understanding. "Good to see you too."
Wade stepped around him to display him to the crowded room. Sadie sat at Rick's feet on the bed, and Sophie sat in an armchair. Lou waited on the couch, apparently next to where Ben had been. Consequently, she was looking at him like he was a warm chocolate chip cookie.
Selfish relief slipped over me at the thought of her being interested in Ben rather than Wade.
"How long have you been here?" Wade asked Ben. "Have you met everyone?"
"I just got here a bit ago, and I've met everyone but you," Ben said as he turned to me, flashing his friendly smile as he approached. His eyes were dark and his face boyish, full of mirth and levity, a breath of fresh air in a room stifled with the weight of the world. "I'm Ben," he said, extending his hand.
"Elliot." I took his big, strong hand and smiled. "Lovely to meet you."
Recognition flickered behind his eyes. "Same to you."
"Do you work with Wade?"
He stepped back, eyes cutting to Wade, the smile still on his lips. "I do, off and on since our first tour in Afghanistan. I've been following him around ever since."
"It was good of you to come," I offered, and Wade nodded, still beaming. I glanced around the room, realizing there wouldn't be enough seating for all of us. "Let me go grab a few more chairs."
"I'll help," Sophie said as she stood, giving me a meaningful look, falling into stride as we walked out of the room.
Once in the hallway, she sighed.
"Everything okay?" I asked, taking her arm.
She nodded as we walked into the dining room. "It's fine. I mean, relative to everything, it's fine. Things feel better, but it's so strange. I'm glad he's home, but it's underscored by the waiting. Sadie's trying, but she's so young and leaves whenever she can to be with her friends. I think … I think she doesn't know what to do. None of us know what to do."
"How could you know?" I asked quietly, looking into her eyes.
She glanced away, shaking her head, her brow heavy with worry. "I don't know. And Wade … I think he's struggling more than any of us, but he insists he's fine. I just wish there were something I could do."
"You know how he is. When he needs you, he'll ask, and if you try to force it out of him, it'll backfire." The words were matter-of-fact, a truth.
"I just hate it. All of it. Everything. It's not fair, Elliot." The words wavered, and I held her at arm's length, searching her face until she met my eyes.
"You're right. It's not fair. It's cruel and ugly and unjust. But we'll endure it for your dad because this is the sum of what we have to offer him — our love."
She pursed her lips and nodded, eyes shining. "I'm just so glad you're here."
I pulled her into a hug. "I know. And I'm not going anywhere."
She held on to me for a moment before breaking away, sniffing once as she turned for a chair. "I can't believe Ben came just to be here for Wade. The room already feels lighter, doesn't it?"
"It does. Wade's face! Did you see his face?" I beamed at the image in my mind.
Sophie mirrored my expression. "I haven't seen him smile like that in ages."
"They must be close."
"They are. He just hopped a plane, used his leave to fly here because he knew Wade needed him." She shook her head and sighed. "I'm so glad Wade has him. He needs someone so badly."
My chest ached, deep inside where she couldn't see.
Sophie picked up a chair and smirked at me, changing the subject. "Did you see Lou?"
I chuckled as we hauled the chairs out. "Hello, nurse."
She laughed. "Seems like she's already given up on Wade."
"Thou art not false, but thou art fickle," I recited.
"Byron?"
"He knew his stuff."
"Well, good riddance on that front anyway. Cousins dating? That's straight out of an Austen novel."
I laughed again, surprised at how quickly we all found relief, as if we'd been waiting on something to bring us back up to the surface.
When we entered the room, Wade approached, taking the chairs from us, changed once again. The heaviness of our exchange during the walk had dissipated, gone without a trace. I marveled over him smiling at his friend as they sat.
Ben laughed. "I don't know why you look so surprised to see me."
"Me neither, but I sure am glad you're here."
"Me too, brother."
Rick shifted to sit a little straighter in bed. "How long are you here, Ben?"
"Two weeks, or until I run out of money."
"You'll stay with us. No arguments."
Ben's smile slipped when he and Wade shared a look: Ben's was one of uncertainty and Wade's told him to just accept it. "I booked a room, so you don't have to worry about me."
"Indulge me," Rick insisted. "We've got room. Stay."
Wade nodded. "You should stay. It's all right."
Ben nodded once in return. "As long as you promise to tell me if you need me to go."
"Deal."
Lou perked up in her seat next to me on the couch. "We'll add one more to the list for dinner then."
Ben's brow rose, and he rested a hand on his flat belly. "Home cooked meals too? You guys are going to spoil me."
Rick laughed. "Get used to it. They're all in spoil mode. Watch out, or you might even get sponge baths."
"Only if I'm lucky," Ben said with a smirk.
"So," Lou started, crossing her long legs, "you two were stationed together in Afghanistan?"
Ben nodded, leaning back in his seat. "Deployed, for three years at a tiny base in an outer province. I never missed civilization so much."
"What," Wade cut in, "not a fan of packs of wild dogs?"
Ben snorted. "Yeah, nothing like thirty starving dogs running after you. I thought I was done for a couple of times."
"Wild dogs?" Lou asked, brows up.
"It's the wilderness. Not for the faint of heart. Life on a FOB isn't exactly glamorous," Ben said with a chuckle.
"FOB?" Sadie's brow quirked.
"Forward Operating Base," Wade explained. "We built huts out of wood for those who thought they were too good for a tent."
"You didn't have beds or anything?" Her words were disbelieving.
Wade shrugged. "Just threw a sleeping bag over a shipping crate, or some of us built beds, but for the most part, nah."
Ben shook his head. "I still have nightmares about veggie omelet MREs."
"Psh, those aren't near as bad as Captain Country Chicken."
Ben made a face. "I only had one of those once, and you're right. It was the worst, only because it would burn your colon to the ground."
"Remember when Billings showed up as our new 'Terp? You fed him an omelet, and he only made it three bites before puking."
"Oh, man," Ben said with a laugh. "I forgot about old Billings. He was a damn good interpreter."
"Was?" Sophie asked, and Ben's face tightened.