I wake to a gentle knock at the door and I slowly sit up in bed. I must have fallen asleep while reading Daniel's journal. Sarah enters wearing a bright smile, followed by Jacob.

"Hey," they say in unison.

"You'll never guess our parents are doing right now," Jacob says, sitting next to my feet on the bed.

"What?" I ask, yawning as I close the journal.

"They received an important phone call," Sarah replies, excitement building in her voice. "They were told to go to the military base where Daniel trained, because his superiors wanted to speak with them face to face . . . Mom and Dad just called us to tell us the news."

The Goosebumps start to spread across my body, climbing my spine and making me shiver with anticipation.

"You mean . . ." I trail off as I bring my hand to my mouth.

Jacob grins and Sarah nods. I squeeze my eyes shut, completely overwhelmed. They found him. God is bringing him home. I feel both Sarah and Jacob place their arms around me. I lean into them, unable to speak. All I can do is thank God for answering our prayers. Daniel is safe. God has him in His hand.

***

I sit next to Jacob in the lobby at the army hospital. Mr. and Mrs. Harden, and Sarah, are visiting with Daniel right now. Jacob was with them at first, but then came to keep me company until they allow me to see him. The only thing I know is that Daniel is in bad shape. His broken ribs are healing, but it hurts his breathing. His right leg is broken, but mending. His shoulder was dislocated, but corrected itself, and his left arm is almost completely healed from a fracture.

I have Daniel's journal in my lap. I have been reading a little bit more each day. I cannot even begin to describe what I have been reading. The things Daniel chose to share with me, and not his family, are . . . profound. I cannot understand many of the things written, but Daniel keeps telling me that God will reveal each thing to me when I am ready to understand them. The entries that makes my heart flutter are Daniel's dreams of me in a wedding dress. He does not give much detail, just that he kept seeing me in a wedding dress, smiling contently and dancing around. He never mentions a groom. I have to keep stopping myself from trying to fill in the blanks. God knows everything and I do not need to paint my future.

"Heather."

I look up and see Sarah coming towards me with her parents. Her smile is relieved yet concerned. I slowly rise to my feet, afraid that my knees my buckle beneath me from shaking.

"He's waiting for you," Sarah says, touching my shoulder. "He wanted to speak to you alone. Just let us know when we can come back in."

I nod and start heading up the hall to Daniel's room, which is the third door on the left. I stop in front of the open doorway, hesitant to enter. I can see the end of Daniel's bed and I can hear the rustle of sheets. I take a deep breath, tucking the journal in my elbow as I walk in. Daniel is looking out the window, his arm, shoulder, and leg all in casts. The skin around his eyes looks pale, as if they have not seen light in a while. There is a red mark down his right cheek, and it looks like it will stay scarred. Tears fill my eyes; he's here.

Though I make no sound, Daniel straightens his shoulders and turns to look directly at me. His smile reaches his eyes, and I cannot help smiling back.

"Heather," he says in a soft voice, beckoning me to the right side of the bed with his good arm.

I am instantly at his side and pulled into his one-armed embrace.

"I missed you so much," I whisper, releasing a gentle sob into his chest.

"I missed you too," Daniel, whispers back, tightening his arm around my shoulders. "I cannot even begin to tell you how much . . . Of all my injuries, the worst one for me were my eyes. I was so worried I would never get to see your face again . . ."

"When I got the letter . . . the one notifying me that you were MIA . . . I couldn't handle it . . . Sarah, Jacob and I . . . we never stopped praying for your return."

I pull back, needing to see Daniel's face, and his smile hits me with a wave of relief. Daniel cups my right cheek in his hand, using his thumb to wipe away the tears.

"I need to tell you something," he says, the gash on his face wrinkling as he continues to smile. "And . . . what I have to tell you may not make any sense, but . . . the coming weeks are going to be tough. I'm going to be stuck here a while . . . and I need you to keep your faith and trust in God. No matter what comes our way. Promise me, Heather."

I take a deep breath and nod, leaning into his hand. I do not know why he thinks that does not make sense. I know the coming weeks are going to be a little tough, especially because Daniel is still recovering. He is not going to be going home for a while and he will need to rehabilitate his body. I may not get to see him very often, but I think what matters, is that he is safe and alive.