Last Duty

37

Boxing Day.

Why do they call it Boxing Day?

I swear this conversation comes up every year, we get the same answer but forget it until it comes up the year after.

So I'll tell you why it's called Boxing Day.

The name comes from a time when the rich used to box up gifts to give to the poor. Boxing Day was traditionally a day off for servants, and the day when they received a special Christmas box from their masters.

Anyway, I'm walking Max through the snow with Ethan

"We should come back here" i say

"We should, it's nice" he says

"Or we could get our own place" i say

"Good idea, then we can rent it out when we aren't using and and make it coast a fortune and get money from it" he says and i laugh

"Exactly, we could but I'd rather rent it to family because I don't want some strangers just coming and living in it. God knows what they will get up to" i say

"Like what we got up to last night?" He asks and i smirk

"Yes we had fun but I won't want strangers having sex all over the house" I say

"Your right" he says

"Of course I am" i say smiling

"So have you heard from your mom?" He asks me

I shake my head, "no what about you?"

"No signal to ring" he says and i nod

"I think we made a good choice for having flowers delivered to their houses on Christmas" i say

"Yeah, I think they were both pretty pissed that we weren't going to be there" he says and i nod

"I do and I don't feel kind of guilty for not being there" i say

"I get where they are coming from, they don't see us often but on our point of view. We need to keep moving, I don't want to transition into civilian life. My life isn't over yet" i say and he nods

"Exactly, there is still so much we need to do in our careers. It's not going to happen with us just lounging around" he says and i nod, "plus they should both know us, we don't like staying in the same place for too long. That's why we're always on deployment"

"Exactly! It's crazy how so much can happen in a year and a half isn't it" i say

"It is, considering that we were neighbours our whole lives and didn't even take an interest into each other until we were both serving together in the same platoon is something else" he says and i laugh

"It is, we've both changed a lot. Matured quickly" i say

"You have to, but I'm glad we did mature quickly but it is annoying how at school everyone is so immature and think the simplest thing is hilarious" he says

"They are so annoying" i say and he nods

"Then again back to our parents. We both have tried to weaken our relationships with them so if something happens it won't be as painful but... I think that us not being in contact with them has been more painful" i say

"Yeah, they don't know us. They know the old us" he says, "they know the versions of ourselves that are really happy and excited all of the time. It must have been quite a shock when we came back for them when they realised that we aren't the same people we used fo be"

"Your right, but even though we are now different that what we used to be. I don't think I've ever been so passionate about anything else in my life. We're both so career focused that for nearly two years it's all we've been thinking about. It's nice coming home and spending time with you who gets that. It's so easy to judge us from the outside when you don't know what's doing on in the inside" i say

"Exactly, we need these little fun moments and the little trips to boost morale and to keep us busy. We're so focused on being switched on, it's hart to rewind but when I'm with you. I can do that so easily" he says

"So can i" i say and he kisses me