He wished something as simple as words - something as powerful as words - could bring everything back to him, but that didn't seem to be the case. And he had something much more important to deal with, watching her earnestly as she tried to answer his question. He wanted the truth, no matter how hard it might be to hear, but it wasn't as hard as she thought. "Honestly... it doesn't feel like an obligation, Summer. It feels like... like I've won something." He laughed a little, trying to figure out how to tell her. "I'm pretty sure every Marine wanted to come home to a girl like you saying she loved him. And here I have, and I can't even remember how it all began. But that doesn't mean I don't want to try. And it doesn't mean I feel like I have to. I want to. I've only known you for a few days that I can remember, and already I like you. I don't think that part of me has changed." He moved to set the letters down and reached out to take her hand, gently, if she'd let him. "And yes, a part of me doesn't want to hurt you, a part of me would stay just to make you smile. But I want to make you smile. I want to find out how to do it all the time. That's got to mean something, right? I think it's going to be harder for you than for me, but... can we try?"