Secrets, lies, and bravery.
It was time to go. The Allied invasion of France had begun, and Luc would join his comrades in the Resistance at daybreak in the nearby mountains. Through the only window the hideaway, he could see the fading moon low in the sky. Pale and watery, it sneaked out intermittently from behind the drifting clouds, casting strange shadows on the floor of the barn. In the darkness of the outbuilding, the animals were slowly waking one by one, stirred by a circadian rhythm over which they had no control. Running his finger over Eve’s cheek, he kissed her gently and breathed in her essence, trying to preserve her in his memory forever. She smiled in her sleep and touched his arm. He felt for his clothes on the floor and wrestled on his torn pants, then yanked a ragged sweater over his head. He had never felt such heartache. He wanted to stay in the safe house with her forever, but it was his duty to fight for his country.