*The Weight of Memories*The old wooden chest creaked as she lifted the lid, a musty smell wafting out like a ghostly sigh. It had been years since she'd opened it, years since she'd allowed herself to revisit the memories that lay within. As she peered inside, a wave of nostalgia washed over her, threatening to pull her under.She had been a young girl, barely twenty, when she first met him. He was a soldier, fresh off the boat from a war-torn country, with eyes that had seen too much and a smile that could light up a room. They'd met