The sultry wind coming from the sea brushed pass me, making my long, brown, half-tied hair and the edges of my short summer dress to flutter and lift up a little. The sun is high up in the sky with a few white, fluffy clouds brushing pass it, making the weather not too hot yet not that cold either. It was a very nice day.

I watched the three children, two boys and one girl, playing and laughing by the shore. One boy was building a sand castle as the girl holds a little bucket and picking up shells to decorate it. The other boy however, keeps on pestering and teasing the little girl by splashing water on her, making the girl angry and irritated. But then a small smile slowly crept through the little girls face. She emptied her bucket and instead filled it with water. She ran to the naughty boy who was still laughing at her and splashed him with water from her little bucket. 

Fortunately, the boy was quick to dodge but the cold saltwater still drenched his feet, making him glare at the little girl. The little girl staggered and step back a little, not expecting that she would trip and fall in the other boy’s almost finished castle. The little girl watched as the other boy’s face turned grim, her doe-eyes widening a little. Now she knows that she had angered the two boys. She immediately stood up and run, the two boys chased after her but because the little girl was a bit shorter than the other two, the pursuers immediately caught up with her. The little girl stumbled in the sand and the two boys tickled her on the spot. The tensed atmosphere was immediately replaced with the soft and gleeful laughter of the children resounding in the air.

I laugh a little at the little kids antics. How I wished it was always like this, full of vigor and happiness. I remembered when I first married my husband Colonel Adams. It was a simple church wedding with our close family and friends only as our witnesses, yet I felt like I was the happiest woman in the world and nothing could ever compare to the joy that is bursting inside me.

But just as I thought, the happiness was only short-lived. A week after our wedding, my husband got a call from the U.S. Navy headquarters; he was being called for duty, for war. I was reluctant to let him leave. I don’t want him to go. But I have no choice, it’s his job to protect and fight for the country, I have no right to stop him.

I helped him pack and escorted him to the door. I tried to hold back my tears but it still welled up in my eyes. We stared at each other one last time, our eyes communicating our deepest desires and feelings. I saw it. He wants to stay with me, he didn’t want to go, but he has to. We were both helpless. His rough lips touched my forehead and how I wished I could stop time and stay in this moment forever, but just as I was about to indulge in the sudden closeness, he withdraw his lips and held my hand.

“I will come back. I love you.”

This may be a promise of love and reassurance but these words did not make me feel any better. Instead it gave me a premonition that this might be his last words to me. He turned his back, slid into his car and drove away. I could’ve hold him back, blocked him, begged him not to go, but instead I stood rooted on the spot, motionless and unmoving. I didn’t shed any tears but I felt a sudden emptiness in my heart, I felt cold.

The seasons passed, the greenery turned yellow and orange and then it was all suddenly white and gray. It was already a year. I received his letters but where is he? When is he coming back? Or will he ever come back?

Two cold winters have passed, without him by my side, I was all alone. His letters were now scarce than ever. Fear is slowly engulfing me but I tried to push it back. I cannot breakdown, I have to be strong. I have to fight for him like he is fighting for me. He said he will come back and I will wait for him. No matter what happens, no matter how long, I will wait for him.

Another year passed, and I was restless than ever. He has not written to me for a year already. What happened? Why is there no letter? A sudden premonition flashed through my mind, but I forcefully pushed it back. No, he wouldn’t leave me just like that. He will come back and when he does, I will never let him go ever again. I will hold him in my arms forever, for better and for worse, till death do we part.

It was springtime again, the sun is almost up but the flowers and grass and leaves are still filled with clear morning dew, the remnants of yesterday night’s light rain shower. I was getting ready for work, when a sudden knock resounded from my door. I wondered who was here so early in the morning; it wasn’t even 7 o’clock yet.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

I went to the door to open it, ready to shoo away the person behind the door, thinking it was another salesperson trying to trick me into a scam. But I would never have thought that the person behind the door was actually someone I would never have wanted to see my whole life. Him showing up at my door, only means one thing, it was over.

He took off his military cap while he greeted me and introduced himself. I didn’t say anything nor did I hear anything he said. I stared at him coldly; my whole body was motionless and rigid, contrary to the storm brewing inside of me.

He must have sense my indifference to him, so he stopped talking and just gave me the envelope that he has been holding this whole time. It was a simple white envelope. I reached out to it, my hand trembling, not able to conceal the uneasiness in my heart. I slowly opened the envelope and read the letter inside.

But halfway through the letter, I gasped, my tears suddenly poured out. All this time I didn’t cry nor shed a single tear for his absence, but now, it was as if the big dam in my eyes suddenly crumbled down and tears flooded my face. I probably looked like a mess after reading the letter. My knees were trembling. I sat down near my door frame, my legs not being able to stand anymore because of the huge weight of feelings crashing down on me.

The military man was still saying something but I didn’t listen. I know he was comforting me but I just ignored him. I don’t want to hear his words anymore. Each utterances of comfort only made me more miserable. I told him to leave. I don’t know how long I sat there or how long I cried, but by the time I regained my senses, the military man has already left.

That was ten years ago. I thought that my sadness and my broken heart will never be fixed again. But life is indeed mysterious, because just as I was almost giving up, it suddenly brought me to the top, giving me the happiness that I deserved; the happiness that WE deserved.

The sound of the car engine brought me back from my reverie. And I was back in the beautiful beach again. I watched as a navy blue pickup truck pulled up a few meters behind me and a handsome man with a prosthetic arm and leg get down from it. He was carrying some plastic bags, walking towards me, as the sun shines above him, giving him an ethereal glow.

He hugged me and kissed my forehead like he always does and as always also, I indulge myself in it.

“What’s on your mind? You looked so far away.”

“Nothing, really. I was just reminiscing the past.”

I saw how his amiable face changed and turned into something grim. Guilt flashing through his eyes but I held his hand and gave him a reassuring smile. I know he blamed himself but it wasn’t his fault. The past might have been a nightmare but if it wasn’t for it I wouldn’t have treasured what I have right now. I wouldn’t have held on so tight in the present and might have even taken them for granted.

All in all, I don’t care about the past anymore. What’s important for me is the present and the bright future we are building together.

I saw him in a daze so I kissed him to stop him from thinking too much. He kissed me back. Our lips pressed tightly together as if we poured all our feelings into it. But then a sudden interruption made us come to a halt.

“Eww…Daddy why are you biting Mommy’s lips?”

“That’s right. And mommy why are you eating Daddy’s tongue?”

“ They’re not biting or eating, they’re kissing.”

“Kissing? That’s still disgusting!”

“Tss, what do you know?”

“You-”

The three children continued to argue with each other and I was left with a bright red tinged on my cheek. This is really embarrassing.

“Now, now, children stop fighting. You’re making your Mommy embarrassed. Why don’t you just help Daddy fix the picnic table so we could eat already? I bought you your favorite snacks.”

The children shouted in delight, their attention immediately diverted. They arranged the picnic table with their Dad, and immediately pounced on it once they finished. The air is light and filled with laughter, love and joy.

This is what I want; a happy and complete family. This is what fate owed me.

My husband hugged me from behind as we watched our three children continue playing after they had their fill. I felt contented and happy. My heart is bursting with joy and a promise suddenly buds in my heart.

‘I will never let anyone or anything destroy this happiness and I will treasure this moment forever.’

My head leaned on my husband’s shoulder as his head settled at crook of my neck. He then said the words I always loved to hear from him.

“I love you, Mrs. Gabriella Adams.”

“I love you too, Mr. Colonel Alexander Adams.” ||