The day I got back (oc story) chapter 1 part 1

Instructions

Chapter 1 finally home (part 1) I had spent years away from her. Years of long nights aboard naval ships, sleepless watches, letters that became fewer and fewer, and memories of a woman I was never sure I would see again. Mariem. My wife. So when I finally stepped off the plane in Moscow, the freezing air hitting my face, I found myself wondering if she would even recognize me. The city looked almost unreal beneath the gray evening sky. Snow clung to the streets, and the golden lights of the buildings reflected against the wet pavement. I adjusted my coat and followed the driver toward the waiting car, still trying to convince myself that this wasn't some elaborate dream. The event was being held in an enormous old building in the heart of Moscow. From the outside, it looked almost like a palace—black iron gates, towering windows, and stone statues staring down at everyone who entered. Inside was even more extravagant. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Music echoed through the halls. Men in expensive suits and women in elegant dresses moved between tables covered in champagne glasses and silver plates. I stared for a moment. "Seriously?" I muttered under my breath. I almost laughed. After spending years sleeping in cramped military quarters, eating whatever the Navy served, and waking up to alarms, walking into a place like this felt ridiculous. Then I heard a familiar voice. "Vicky!" I turned. Mariem stood at the end of the hallway. For a moment, everything else disappeared. She wore a deep blue dress that flowed around her legs as she walked toward me. Her dark hair was styled perfectly, and the soft lighting caught the jewelry around her neck. But it was her eyes that I remembered. Those hadn't changed. She smiled. "Hey, Vicky." Before I could say anything, she wrapped her arms around me. I froze for half a second before hugging her back. She smelled exactly the same. It was strange how something so simple could bring back years of memories. "I thought you weren't coming," she whispered. "I almost didn't." She pulled away and looked at me. "You've changed." "So have you." Her smile became smaller. "Not in the ways that matter." I didn't understand what she meant. At least, not yet. Mariem slipped her hand into mine and pulled me toward the ballroom. "Come on. Everyone's waiting." As we walked, I noticed something strange. People weren't simply looking at Mariem. They were watching her. Some lowered their voices when she passed. Others immediately moved out of her way. One man in a black suit looked directly at me before glancing at Mariem. His expression wasn't friendly. "Who's that?" I asked quietly. Mariem didn't look back. "No one." "You sure?" Her fingers tightened around mine. "Vicky." The way she said my name made me stop asking questions. The music grew louder as we entered the ballroom. Everyone seemed to be celebrating something, though nobody had bothered to explain exactly what. Mariem smiled at me again, almost as if she wanted to distract me. "Want to dance, pretty boy?" I raised an eyebrow. "After all these years, that's your opening line?" She laughed. "You missed me." "I did." Her smile faded for just a moment. "I missed you too." Then she pulled me onto the dance floor. The music slowed into something soft and haunting. I placed one hand around her waist while she rested hers against my shoulder. For the first time in years, she was close enough that I could feel her breathing. "You’re beautiful in that blue dress, dear," I whispered. Mariem giggled softly. "And you're still terrible at compliments." "I'm serious." "I know." She rested her head against my chest. For a few seconds, everything felt normal. Like we were just two married people reunited after too much time apart. But then I noticed the scar. It ran along the side of her wrist, partially hidden beneath a bracelet. I gently caught her hand. "Mariem." She immediately pulled it away. "What?" "What's that?" Her expression changed. Nothing dramatic. Just a tiny flicker of fear. "It's nothing." "You've never been good at lying to me." She looked up at me. "And you've never been good at knowing when to stop asking questions." The music continued around us. I stared at her. She stared back. Then she smiled again, but this time it didn't reach her eyes. "Just enjoy tonight, Vicky." I didn't know it then, but the woman I had come to Moscow to reunite with wasn't the same woman I had left behind. Mariem had built an entirely different life while I was gone.