Dearest Lily

March 1, 1943 Somewhere in Europe My Dearest Lily, I can hardly find the words to describe the ache in my heart as I sit here, miles away from you. There’s a quietness to the nights here, the kind that reminds me just how much I miss the sound of your voice, your laughter, the warmth of your hand in mine. Even in the chaos of this war, when all around me is uncertainty, my thoughts keep drifting back to you—always to you. I know I promised you I’d come back, and I keep that promise close to my heart. It’s the one thing that keeps me going in moments of doubt, when the days stretch on and the world seems dark. I think of the life we’ll build together, of the quiet evenings in Chicago, of walks along Lake Michigan, and of you, smiling as you always do, lighting up everything around you. That vision is what I hold on to, what pulls me through the hardest days. It’s strange, but in some ways, this war has made me realize just how much I love you. In the stillness of the nights when the sounds of battle fade, it’s your face I see, your eyes that I look for in every new day. I’m counting the days until I can hold you again, until I can finally feel the softness of your embrace and tell you in person just how much you mean to me. I want you to know, Lily, that though I am far from home, I am never far from your love. It wraps around me like a blanket, keeping me warm when the cold winds of this place chill me to the bone. I carry you with me in every step I take, in every letter I write, and in every prayer I whisper. Be safe, my love, and keep the faith. The thought of you is what keeps me strong, what keeps me fighting. There will be a day, I swear to you, when I can come home and never leave again. Until then, please think of me, as I think of you, and know that my love for you is deeper than any distance, stronger than any fear. Yours always and forever, Sam Private Samuel Turner had never imagined he’d find himself on a battlefield so far from home. He had grown up in a small town in Wisconsin, far from the chaos of war. But the call to serve had come, and with it, the heavy burden of duty. Now, in the mud-filled, blood-soaked forests of France, he found himself fighting for more than just his country. He was fighting to survive. It was the winter of 1944, and the Allied forces were entrenched in a bitter battle against the German Wehrmacht. The freezing air cut through Samuel’s thick woolen uniform as he huddled behind a crumbling stone wall, his rifle clutched tightly in his cold, trembling hands. Snowflakes fell gently around him, a stark contrast to the brutal reality of war. But it was the only reality Samuel had known for the last several months. The sound of distant artillery rumbled through the air, a constant reminder that the war was never far away. Samuel’s stomach churned with both hunger and fear. The days blurred together—endless hours of waiting, of hoping, and of fearing the worst. "Turner, you ready?" Sergeant Davis’s voice snapped Samuel back to the present. His sergeant’s gruff tone had become a familiar, yet reassuring sound over the past few weeks. Samuel nodded, his breath fogging up in the cold air. He had no choice. The Germans were advancing, and it was up to him and his squad to hold the line. They had been pushed back several miles already, and if they didn’t stop the enemy here, the cost would be far greater than just this small stretch of land. The line had to hold. "We move out in five," Sergeant Davis ordered, his eyes scanning the area ahead. Samuel swallowed hard, adjusting the strap of his rifle. He had heard rumors about what lay beyond the forest—more German troops, tanks, and the unmistakable, bone-chilling sound of Nazi artillery. But he couldn’t let that stop him. Fear had to be buried deep, where it wouldn’t affect his ability to think and fight. As the squad moved forward, the freezing wind howled through the bare trees, but the snow and mud underfoot seemed to slow their progress. Samuel’s boots sank with every step, the ground a heavy, treacherous enemy of its own. His heart raced as the distant sound of gunfire reached his ears—closer now. Too close. Then, without warning, the silence shattered.