Feb. 22

Dear Journal,

My father would be proud of me. I almost took a bullet to the leg, almost. I managed to duck down just in time—I didn’t ever think I’d be so happy to hit the ground.

Then again, I never thought my hands would be so comfortable wrapped around a gun—My father always says I was a tad bit too trigger happy when we’d go turkey hunting in years passed. I got spooked a bit too easily.

It’s safe to say I’ve grown out of it, or at least my reactions are warranted by my surroundings. Honestly, when I joined the service, I assumed my jumpiness would be a disadvantage, but it’s saved the lives of several men, including myself. Bryce still calls me a hero, his hero, and that’s enough to keep me going for now. He makes me feel like all of this, the fighting, the struggles, constant death, night terrors—All of it’s worth it if I have his respect.

-Adrian