But in real life—and in the good, hard games that simulate life—the Last Stand is not glorious. It is intimate .
Sometimes, miraculously, you survive the Last Stand. The enemy breaks. The fog lifts. The dawn comes.
You keep playing the meta-game. Maybe they missed a spot. Maybe the reinforcements are just one round away. You hunker down. You conserve resources. You don't admit you are cornered yet. You are still fighting to win .
Those are the hardest mornings.