Everyone sees the surprise

They see the happy reactions and the emotion
All the joyful tears and “welcome homes”
When she’s wearing his dogtags and strutting around in his army t-shirt
Bragging to everyone how he’s fighting for our country
Facetiming and texting while he’s at basic
The anticipation of counting the days till he gets home
Waiting in the airport for him to get off the plane
Finally able to embrace him and feel his warmth

No one sees the sad tears
No one sees her sitting at home clutching his sweatshirt
The worry of him being overseas in a foreign land
Anxiously awaiting his phone call just so she can hear that he’s okay
Making the few days that he is home last, fearing the departure date
Never wanting to let him go knowing there might be a chance
That he won’t come back
Feeling alone and that no one understands how she feels
They don’t know that all she has is the dogtags