ANNUAL MEETING

LEVI made sure that Shari would enjoy the days of them together. He could see the sparks in her eyes that he had not seen lately. After their airsoft game, they spent time catching the sunset in the afternoon and camping at night under the moon's brightness. They had fun walking on the shore unguarded. And most of all, Shari's laughter was contagious that made him forget the very reason why he decided to take this vacation.

I'm sorry, sweetheart. Levi muttered to himself as he observed Shari playing on the waves. He lied to her. Levi didn't have a business meeting next week. He was preparing for one of the most extensive missions the HDA would operate. Telling her would only cause her worries, especially since Shari might want to tag along in that dangerous joint operation.

"A penny for your thoughts?" Shari asked when she noticed that he was thinking abstractly.

"I'm just thinking how happy we could be if we were carefree like this."