Sniper Called......

I finally heard from Sniper today!!! YEAH!!!! Someone, must have been looking down on us. Sniper is doing good. Extremely tired and busy. He is already doing missions. Trying to put everything together and work with the unit they are replacing. He hasn't set-up his computer yet, but hopefully that will happen soon. By months end everything should be good to go and should be able to start contacting me regularly. More contact than the last deployment. I love that. We were able to talk for 17 minutes. That's all the time left on his calling card. We used it all up. I made sure I told him several times that I love him. He asked that I call his family and let them know I talked to him and he is ok. He called me before his mom and son. That surprised the hell out of me. I figured I was last on the totem pole. Guess not. That was a great feeling. However, we got cut-off mid sentence. I f*cking hated that, but nothing I could do about it. "You have one minute left?" You can only cram so much into the last minute, knowing you are going to get cut-off and then when it does happen. Oh, f*ck, I remember more stuff I forgot to tell him. I was able to give him an update on everyone and everything happening at home. Of course, he had to ask about the alarm system. Sniper - Where are you at with the alarm system? Me - ummmm......I haven't done it yet. It is kinda expensive and I can't see spending the money. Sniper - Did you get anymore estimates? Me - ummmm.....no. Sniper - You need to get it done. I want my family safe while I am gone. I need you to be safe until I return. I will pay for it. Just get it done. Me - I will work on it this week. I promise. OK, I will work on it this week. He didn't ream me from Iraq, but I could hear it in his voice, he is very concerned. That is something I don't want him to worry about. He has a job to do and needs to concentrate on it and not worry about me. I will work my ass off this week to get it done or at least the estimates. Damn $1300 is a lot of money for one who is only going to be in the house for a year and a half....Oh, well. I don't want my ass kicked from Iraq....nope, not me. It has seemed like it was so long since we talked and it was so good to hear his voice. I realized how much I have taken for granted on the daily things in life. I was so used to talking to him constantly and to get cut-off is hard. I will never take anything for granted again with him. I got off the phone and the tears started falling and then fell hard. Luckily I had a house full of people. My mom and aunt were here and just held me. My aunt has been here before and will be there soon again with me. My cousin is in the Army and getting ready to deploy for the 2nd time in a few months. We will be there for each other. Once everyone left this evening, the house quiet (my kids are gone until next weekend with there dad) reality sunk in again. I am alone. He's not here to comfort me. Just me, myself and I. I keep replaying that 17 minute conversation over and over again in my head. It's pure torture. I can't wait for the new job. I won't have this down time. Absence diminishes small loves and increases great ones, as the wind blows out the candle and fans the bonfire. ~François Duc de La Rochefoucauld dyzgoneby