We Happy Few | Band of Brothers

Chapter 63: Moving On

Reaching for her cup of water, Annie took a sip of the cool liquid to ease her nerves as she nodded along to Steve's story about how he had gotten a new job as a word processor in one of the more well-known companies in the area. Steve had noticed Annie was a little on edge and thankfully had taken the lead and done most of the talking thus far.

"And so I've been there for a few months now and I'm quite liking the work." Steve clasped his hands together and smiled. "There's plenty of potential to move up the corporate ladder which is what I think is most exciting about it." 

"It sounds very promising," Annie agreed as her eyes wandered around the diner a little. "I'm really glad to hear that you're enjoying it."

Steve watched as Annie took in the sight of the new restaurant and waited until her wonder had died down a little before speaking again. "So, what about you?" he posed the question once he was sure she was paying attention. "Have you managed to find any work since coming home?"

"No." Annie shook her head. "I'm keeping my eyes peeled but I'm just not finding anything that's really piquing my interest all that much if I'm honest. I mean, after you've been a combat medic for the army it's a little hard to find a job that even comes close to comparing."

"I completely understand." Steve lifted his hands from the table as the waitress came over with their food. After giving her a quick 'thank you', he turned back to Annie and continued the conversation. "But hey, maybe a drastic change would be good. Maybe it will allow you to find something else you're really passionate about."

Grabbing the bottle of ketchup and squirting some beside her fries, Annie gave the suggestion some thought. "Yeah, maybe." She dipped a single fry in some ketchup before plopping it into her mouth. "I think I'm just happy with spending time with my family for the time being. Work will always be there. Family won't."

Steve watched as Annie's face fell for a millisecond before returning to normal again. It was clear to him that she was still dealing with stuff, but the extent of it was something he remained unsure about. "Do you talk about it much?" he decided to ask. "You know, the war. Is it something you talk about?"

"Not really," Annie answered honestly. "Not even with my family, so don't feel like I'm holding out on you or anything. I'm just not ready yet. There's still a lot I need to process."

"Hey." Steve reached across the table and held Annie's hand. "There's no rush with me, okay? Whenever you're ready to talk, I'm here to listen."

Looking up at Steve, Annie flashed a genuine smile. "Thank you." She was grateful to have found someone other than Philip who seemed to understand that she just needed time; time and patience. 

Throughout the rest of the meal, Annie and Steve chatted about this and that—mostly about what Steve had been up to for the past four years—and eventually, Annie relaxed and opened up a little. She shared a few harmless stories here and there from her training at Toccoa and Mackall, and for the first time, Steve didn't seem at all bothered by how often she mentioned the men she served with.

In fact, at one point he even ended up asking about George because he had heard Tim going on and on about him during his radioman phase while visiting the house. So, Annie told Steve about George and how she thought the two of them might get along should they ever end up meeting. 

George was definitely a little goofier and more out there than Steve was but they shared a lot of the same qualities that Annie admired in a person; which probably explained why she had, at some point or another, had feelings for both of them.

After dinner, Steve ordered two milkshakes to go and the two took a walk in the park that Annie had visited a few days before. With the sun setting in the sky and the fountain in the park's lake filling the area with the beautiful sound of falling water, the former couple reminisced about the time they had spent together before their lives had gone separate ways.