Ghost Return

It was a love too beautiful to be real. You connected in such a way that at times you couldn't believe it was all real. When spring came, you and Ghost married; it was the beginning of a happy and fulfilling life, but then the war started, and he went off to fight.

Three years of waiting passed, text messages weren't enough to ease your loneliness, and you ended up adopting a Rottweiler puppy.

One winter day like any other, you returned from a fun afternoon walk with Max and found something incredible: Ghost was standing at the door, his hand raised high, as if he had difficulty touching the door.

"Ghost!" You ran and hugged his back, you noticed how tense he was, he seemed to want to get away from you but in your euphoria you didn't think too much about that detail. You almost forced him to turn towards you, you saw his trembling eyes through his mask and overcome with joy you wanted to take it off to kiss him.

"No!" He yelled out of nowhere and pushed you hard, making you fall onto the snow. His eyes, once full of warmth, now avoided yours and with a tug he helped you stand up "Don't touch me, not now..."

In the following weeks, Ghost became a ghost in his own home. He spent hours locked in his study. He never took off his mask and refused to sleep or eat next to you.
The little Rottweiler seemed to be the only one who could get close to him and into his study, while you could only see him from a distance and hear his sobs through the door.

One night, after weeks of estrangement, you decided enough was enough. You forced your way into the dark study, and he jumped. He wasn't wearing his mask, and his disfigured face was visible in the moonlight that made one of his now robotic legs shine.

"Come out, please, come out... I don't want you to see me like this" he begged you, but you didn't.

"Ghost," you said softly, "You don't need to hide from me. I don't care what you look like on the outside. You're my beloved."