Acrylic on canvas , 100 x 100 cm.

~ Staffin Bay at sunset ~

Staffin, Scotland Highland, United Kingdom - by Dan Tucker

Staffin, Flodigarry. Isle of Skye, Scotland.

-After the night in the minefield, they can't sleep unless it's right next to each other. They've even given up a bed so they could sleep next to each other on the floor. -Jack has never been a morning person, so when Rio wakes up at 0600 she has to wake up him. Her favorite way is to lay down in front of his face and lightly touching his nose with her finger. She knows when to do this when Stick says, "Commence the booping." -They stand in front or behind each other in line when marching. It's never been discussed, but it's been understood by their squad. -The later on the in the war it gets, the more the squad stops trying to be subtle about their hints about one another's feelings for the other. Eventually, they lock the two in a closet and Zhenou yells through the door, "Just fuck already!" -They come out looking a little disheveled. -Jack is the one that Rio finally tells that she thinks Strand is cheating on her. Sure, it's always been in the back of her mind, but he's there the first time she actually puts two and two together. -Jack and Rio are by far the best fighting duo the squad has. -Zhenou is the one that finally persuades Rio not to marry Strand, but Jack is the one she has help her write the letter. -They never dated, per say. The whole war was kind of their courting, but, in the middle of a bad fight, Jack asks her to marry him. -She's shocked at first, but then replies, "Hell, yes!" before throwing a grenade. -They're married that night. They have no rings, and no preacher, just a captain on a ship, but it's enough for them. -Their first time was when the two of them found a pond in the moonlight while they were scouting. Truthfully, it didn't start that way. Stick had sent them out after a battle to scout the way when they found it. They were covered from head to toe in dirt and blood and had immediately jumped in. Things led from there. -After the war, their house becomes a common meeting ground for the squad, Marr, and Rainy. Once a year, they all meet there, sleeping on couches and floors and sometimes even the kitchen table to make room for all of their families, but no one ever mentions a hotel.