The day had finally come—the day Dalton had been dreading for weeks. He and Vanessa stood in the cold morning air, sharing what would be their final hug before he shipped out. The weight of the moment pressed down on Dalton, harder than he had expected. He held her tight, not wanting to let go, afraid that once he did, everything between them would change.
"I'll write you every day.." he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "Promise me you'll write back."
Vanessa nodded, though her eyes seemed distant. "I will," she said softly. "I promise."
But as Dalton boarded the bus, leaving her behind, something felt off. He couldn't put his finger on it, but deep in his gut, he knew things wouldn't be the same after this.
Basic training was harder than Dalton had imagined.
It wasn't just the physical demands or the strict schedules—it was the emotional toll of being away from Vanessa. Every day felt like an uphill battle, his mind constantly wandering back to her. He missed her laugh, her smile, the way she'd tease him when they played games. Everything about her haunted his thoughts.
He wrote letters every chance he got, pouring his heart out on the page. He told her about the grueling exercises, the endless drills, the way his body ached from the strain. But more than that, he wrote about how much he missed her, how every day without her felt incomplete. He needed her words, her comfort—something to hold on to in the chaos of training.
But the letters never came.
One letter.
That's all Vanessa sent during his time at basic. One single letter, short and simple, telling him she was doing okay. She mentioned she had gotten a job at a hospital, delivering food to patients. It wasn't much, but she was settling into her new routine.
Dalton read the letter over and over again, holding on to every word like it was a lifeline. But no matter how many times he wrote back, asking her to send more, the mailbox remained empty. Each day he hoped for another letter, but every time the recruits lined up for mail call, his name was never called.
The disappointment gnawed at him. Why wasn't she writing? Was she too busy? Did she forget? The questions kept spinning in his mind, but no answers came.
Phone calls were no better.
Every week, he was lucky enough to get a phone call—a brief five-minute conversation that always felt rushed, like time was slipping away faster than it should. The calls with Vanessa were short, polite, but never quite enough. He tried to tell her about training, about how much he missed her, but the connection felt strained, like they were talking past each other.
Five minutes wasn't enough to express how much he needed her. It wasn't enough to fix the distance that was growing between them.
As the weeks went on, his mental state began to unravel. The lack of communication, the overwhelming stress of basic training, and the constant longing for Vanessa weighed heavily on him. He felt alone, more than ever before. Even though he was surrounded by other recruits, the loneliness pressed in on him, suffocating in its intensity.
***
Finally, the last day of training arrived.
Dalton had made it through the grueling process, but barely. His mind was frayed, his emotions raw. But there was a glimmer of hope—Vanessa had sent him a message, telling him about her job at the hospital. Every day, she left a note, telling him what she had been up to, and for a brief moment, Dalton felt a spark of happiness. She hadn't forgotten him.
When he was finally allowed a longer phone call on the final day of training, Dalton's heart raced with excitement. This was the call he had been waiting for, the moment where he could finally hear her voice again without the rushed constraints of a five-minute conversation.
He dialed her number, his hand shaking with anticipation.
It rang once. Then twice. Then again.
No answer.
Dalton stared at the phone in disbelief. Maybe she was busy, he told himself. Maybe she didn't hear it ring. So, he waited a few minutes, his anxiety building, and tried again.
Nothing.
By the third call, panic had set in. Was something wrong? Why wasn't she picking up? All the worst-case scenarios flashed through his mind as he kept dialing, each missed call deepening the pit in his stomach.
***
Hours later, she finally answered.
"Hey." Vanessa's voice came through the line, but there was no excitement in it. No warmth.
Dalton exhaled sharply, his chest tight with both relief and confusion. "Vanessa! I've been trying to reach you... what happened? Are you okay?"
There was a long pause on the other end of the line. "Yeah... I've just been busy."
"Busy?" Dalton repeated, feeling the sting of the word. "I've been waiting all day to hear from you."
"I know," she replied quietly. "I'm sorry. Things have been crazy at work."
Dalton clenched his jaw, trying to push down the frustration bubbling up inside him. He wanted to be understanding, to remind himself that she had her own life, her own struggles. But after everything—the letters that never came, the missed calls—he couldn't help but feel like he was being pushed to the side.
"I just... I've missed you so much.." he said, his voice cracking slightly. "I thought we'd get to talk more today."
"I missed you too." Vanessa said, but her voice lacked the enthusiasm Dalton had hoped for. It sounded distant, like her mind was elsewhere.
As the conversation dragged on, Dalton couldn't shake the sinking feeling that something was wrong.
Vanessa gave him updates about her job at the hospital, about the patients she had been delivering food to, but there was a coldness in her tone, a detachment that hadn't been there before. Dalton tried to joke, to lighten the mood, but every attempt seemed to fall flat.
He wanted to tell her about his last day of training, about the sense of relief he felt finally making it through, but it didn't feel like the right moment. Every word felt strained, like he was talking to a stranger rather than the girl he had fallen in love with.
The call ended far too quickly, and as Dalton hung up, the hollow feeling in his chest deepened. He had spent weeks longing for this moment, for the chance to reconnect with her, but now... now it felt like they were further apart than ever.
His mind no longer on the tasks at hand. His thoughts were consumed by Vanessa, by the growing distance between them, by the unanswered letters and missed calls. He had survived basic training, but in many ways, he felt more broken than ever before.
The Vanessa he had left behind wasn't the same one on the other end of the phone. And no matter how hard Dalton tried, he couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed between them.
He just didn't know how—or if—it could be fixed.