This might come as a bit of a surprise. Eddie lightly rubbed the spot beneath his nose with his fingers and said, "I found an old photograph in military files declassified over the past twenty years."
As he spoke, he handed his gift box to Steve. Steve untied the ribbon, then froze. He saw a photograph that even felt somewhat unfamiliar to him.
It was a group photo, filled with young people in military uniforms—roughly more than half a company's worth. Peggy and he were both among them, except he had not yet become the muscular enhanced man he was now. Back then, he had merely been a green recruit fresh out of boot camp. He had nearly forgotten what he looked like at the time.
Photography had not been that advanced in those days, and most old photographs were blurry. But the one in his hands was exceptionally clear. Clear enough that Steve could almost instantly match every person in the photo with someone from his memories, recalling what they had done and the stories they had shared.
"You restored this photograph?" Steve asked.
"Yes. I have to admit, it was difficult. The original photo was already blurry, and the version released by the military had been compressed even further. After enlarging it, I adjusted it point by point. Turned out pretty well, right?"
Steve's expression was complicated, his face full of emotion, but he still gave Eddie a hug and said, "Thank you for being willing to do this for me."
Just as he was about to put the photograph away, he noticed a phone number written on the back. Eddie continued, "Fortunately, someone in this photo survived the war just like you and lived to be a hundred. I found his address and phone number, then called