Throughout the journey from the airport, Vernon fantasized about drawing a hot bath and making himself a stack of fluffy pancakes for breakfast, a delicacy he hadn’t enjoyed in over a year. The mere thought of it filled him with a warm fuzzy feeling.
As Vernon gazed out the window during the cab ride, the sight of tidy lawns and quiet streets was a soothing balm after the turbulence of deployment. However, his relief was swiftly replaced by a sense of unease the moment he stepped out of the cab.