Excerpt: Sexually Deprived For Your Freedom

She had no idea what was going through his head when he came in the down and bounded up the stairs, looking rugged and handsome in his well fitting tan shirt and Army Combat Uniform (ACU) pants, his ACU top slung casually over his left shoulder and a duffel bag with his PT uniform in his left hand.
“So let me tell you about the silliness this morning…” She started babbling at him about her day, about something stupid someone had said to her that she was not going to be able to remember in about five minutes, and about the number of authorizations she had processed and how well they had decreased their workload for the week. He stood there and listened, trying to interrupt, but not being able to get a word in edgewise. Finally he gave up, dropped what he had been holding and placed both hands on her shoulders.
“Tori, stop” He shook her once, jarring out of her inane babbling so she looked at him. His brown eyes were filled with love but lines of worry marred his face. He moved both hands up to smooth down her copper hair before cupping her porcelain face. He kissed her, softly, sliding his hands back down to her shoulders, then her arms, finally taking her small hands in his. She was bewildered, and as she opened her mouth to ask what was bothering her, he shook his head firmly once at her.
Standing there, in the living room on their small apartment, next to the toffee colored couch and glass top coffee table, he knelt to the ground before her. Still holding her hands, he looked up at her with chocolate eyes that brimmed with tears and overflowed with love.
“Tori, my love, would you do me the honor of marrying me?” He asked in a rush, watching her face, waiting for her reaction.
“Oh Brian” She pulled him back to his feet, “yes.” She breathed, tears falling from her emerald and gold eyes. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest. “This means your going, doesn’t it?”
“Yes” was all he could say, as he pulled him into her while she started to sob. She tried to pull herself together, trying to stop the tears from falling was beyond her, but she was able to stop the body-racking sobs. Taking a deep breath to regain control, she stepped back to look at him again, then pulled him to the couch.
“We knew this was coming, sooner or later. We figured it was soon, thanks to that phone call on Wednesday.” He nodded at her.