A Soldier to Love

by HUNT, EA

  “Then you would have been here with her these past few weeks.”

  “The Army does not work like that ma’am. But I’m here now and I will be for the next week.”

  “I’ll believe it when I see it,” was all she said before she turned back towards the crowd.

  Eric squeezed his wife’s hip before he turned her and walked them away from her mother. He released her, took the baby from her arms and cradled her against his shoulder. He kissed his little girl’s temple, she smelled as sweet as her mother. He looked at his wife, “are you ok?”

  Elsie licked her lips “now that you’re here I am,” she leaned into him she had missed his so much.

  “Lieutenant?”

  Eric looked at the person behind his wife “yes.”

  “Elton Smithson. I’m your daughter’s Commanding officer.”

  Eric nodded.

  “I would love to shake your hand but from what I can see you have your hands full.”

  Eric nodded, “sorry, it’s been a while since I’ve held my girls.”

  Elton nodded, “Mara talks about you all the time I know she was excited you were going to be here today.”

  “I was excited to see her in action. She sent me a few videos of the team. My Ranger team and I have marveled at what they have been able to do.”

  “They’re amazing.” Elton said, “Well, I need to be getting back. Nice to meet you Lieutenant.”

  Eric nodded and the man turned and walked away.

  “You know I could have taken the baby and you could have talked to Smithson.”

  Eric looked at his wife, “do you think for one minute I was letting you out of my arms when I finally got you back in them.”

  Elsie looked at her husband, “I’m sorry. I was”

  “Shh we’ll talk later. Right now let’s see if our girl’s team won.”

  Elsie nodded she snuggled a little into her husband she was not going to let him go this time.

  ***

  Jones released a breath as he picked up his phone he looked at his message; Eric was not going to like this. He was supposed to be on leave and now here he had to come back. Jones answered the message then flipped the screen to make a call he was positive Eric didn’t want to hear.

  ***

  She wasn’t wearing any underwear. Ok he knew that wasn’t the case she was wearing underwear but they were thongs he could see the faint outline of them as she walked. Eric swallowed he should not have let his daughter talk him into coming to the same restaurant as the rest of the drill team. He knew his daughter wanted to celebrate their win with her team but he wanted to celebrate the fact his wife was not giving him the cold shoulder. He placed a hand on the small of her back and followed the hostess to their table.

  Mara was talking with a few team mates at another table while he was carrying the baby carrier and bag and his wife had Raelyn in her arms. He held his wife’s seat out for her they would celebrate this win then he would take them home and hold his wife all night. Eric placed the car seat in the chair to his wife’s left while he took the chair to her right.

  “Drinks”

  Eric looked at the waitress, “iced tea for both of us,” he turned and looked at Mara he motioned for her to come to their table.

  “Sorry,” Mara said as she sat down she looked at the waitress, “coke please”

  The young woman nodded and walked away to fill their orders.

  “Can I go sit with Taya and Twyla,” Mara questioned her friends had asked all kinds of questions about Eric while she was over there. She’d answered them and thought it weird that her friends thought her Dad was cute while she thought he was just her Dad.

  Elsie placed the baby in the carrier, “sure but you have to tell me what you are eating so we can order it.”

  Mara nodded, she looked at the menu “can I have a burger.”

  Elsie nodded; she knew her daughter wanted something quick so she could so she could go be with her friends. “Ok go.”

  “Thanks,” Mara said as she stood and rushed back to the table.

  “We should have given her my credit card and let her come to dinner alone,” Eric said as he picked up his menu.

  “You Mr. Reynolds will not be giving her you credit card ever,” Elsie said as she leaned over and kissed his cheek.

  Eric smiled, “what was that for?”

  “For me being silly”

  He placed his menu back on the table, “you were not being silly. You were hurt and I was the one to hurt you and for that I will forever be sorry.”

  Elsie smiled at him, “let’s just have a nice dinner and then we will head home for.”

  “Dessert,” he winked at her. Before he had left Post he’d gotten a box of condoms. He loved Rae and Mara and he wanted to give them another sibling but he wanted to wait a year or more before any of that happened.

  “Exactly,” Elsie said as she looked at her menu surprisingly she wasn’t hungry well not for anything which was on this menu. She lifted her head about to ask Eric what he was having when she saw the expression on his face. “What’s wrong?”

  “We need to go,” he said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a few bills. “Mara,” he called as he stood.

  Mara looked at her parent she didn’t like the look on his face.

  “Eric?” Elsie questioned as she stood also.

  He looked at Elsie, “my Team has been called up.”

  “Now?”

  He nodded; he wanted one night with her. One night of makeup sex looks like that was another dream deferred “I’m sorry.”

  “Sorry about what?”

  “Eric needs to head to the airport. His team has been called up,” Elsie said to her daughter.

  “Oh” Mara picked up her sister’s bag and followed her parents from the restaurant she would text her friends and let them know why she was leaving so early.

  ***

  She could do this. She could tell him goodbye and not want to cry her eyes out because she’d only had a few hours with him.

  “Bae, please don’t cry,” Eric said as he wiped at her tears. His plane was boarding soon and he still hadn’t gone through security because he wanted as much time with his wife as he could get.

  “If I would have stopped being-”

  “Shh. We knew this would happen at some point. I knew this would happen especially after I was passed over for the position in Chattanooga.”

  “Oh Eric, I’m sorry. I know how much you wanted that position.”

  Eric wrapped his arms around her waist, “Its fine I wanted you more.”

  Elsie nodded; she lowered her head, “please be careful.”

  Eric placed his knuckles under her chin and brought her face back up to his, “I have every intention on coming back to you. And just think when I get back we get ‘I’m glad you’re alive’ sex along with make-up sex.”

  Elsie playfully hit his chest, “you are so silly.”

  Eric bent his head he placed his lips on his wife’s. He was going to be more than careful he was going to come back alive because the woman in his arms needed him just as much as he needed her.

  Elise placed a hand on his cheek as she deepened the kiss she wanted him to have something to look forward to when he came back to her. She pulled back, “I love you” she whispered.

  “And I you” Eric replied, he lifted his head. He smiled at his girls they were a few feet away from him Mara had a concerned look on her face and Rae was sleeping like she didn’t have a care in the world. He released his wife and walked over to his daughters, “I love you both” he said as he bent and kissed Mara’s forehead and Rae’s head.

  Mara smiled sadly at him, “you have to come back to us.”

  Eric pulled back he smiled at her “and why wouldn’t I come back to the three most beautiful women in the world.”

  Mara blushed a little, “be careful.”

  Eric nodded; he turned and walked back over to his wife he placed a hand on her cheek, “I will call
when I can.”

  Elsie nodded as she bit her lower lip, she was not going to cry and she was not going to break down.

  “I have to go. Jones has called three times.”

  “I know. Go”

  Eric kissed his wife once more before he turned and headed towards security.

  Elsie watched him go, ‘please God protect him’ she whispered.

  Chapter 6

  “Well, this looks more depressing than I thought it would be,” Synette said as she walked into the semi lit room.

  Elsie turned from her computer to Synette standing in her living room entrance. “I didn’t know you were coming over.”

  Synette shrugged, “the office was boring so I thought I would come visit” she said as she sat down next to her friend on the couch.

  “Hmmm,” Elsie said as she closed her laptop. She had thought trying to get some work done would take her mind off the fact Eric had been gone for a week and the last time she had heard from him was the day after he had left but that was not to be the case.

  Syn released a breath, “you do know he’s all right” she told her. Elsie had called her shortly after she had arrived home from taking Eric to the airport crying. The reunion both were hoping for would not happen.

  Elsie looked at her friend, “are we to that moment? Where it’s your job to keep me sane.”

  “Honey, we’ve been there since you and Eric started this thing.”

  Elsie chuckled besides Janelle Syn had been here for all of her ups and downs when it came to Eric Reynolds and their relationship. “I just”

  “Miss him. I know,” Syn gave her friend a sad smile “hey lets head out to lunch. My treat”

  Elsie nodded since work wasn’t keeping her occupied maybe lunch with her friend would. “Let me just get Rae ready to go.”

  ***

  The knock on the front door was the last thing Janelle expected at three in the morning. She placed her pistol in her robe pocket she wasn’t stupid all that glitters isn’t gold out here in the middle of nowhere. She turned on the porch light and stilled on her front porch were two men dressed in Army uniforms with grim looks on their faces. She opened the door, “yes.”

  “Janelle Artson?”

  “Yes”

  One man stepped forward “Parker Milcome, I’m Eric Reynolds Commander; there’s been an incident.”

  ***

  Elsie moved her head from the left to the right she was dog tired she hadn’t been able to get any sleep the last few nights. Her dreams consist of Eric telling her goodbye and never coming home again. Or his casket being lowered into the ground as she held her babies and cried. She didn’t want to have those dreams and she wished they would stop.

  ‘Three American soldiers have been paraded in front of cameras. As terrorist ask for release of several high level detainees from Guantanamo Bay in exchange for these soldiers release.’

  Elsie reached for the remote she had told Eric several times she was not going to watch TV while he was gone. It would only upset her and that was the last thing she needed. No what she needed was her husband to walk through her door and hold her but that wasn’t going to happen. Elsie was about to change the channel when one of the soldiers spoke.

  “My name is Lieutenant Eric Reynolds, serial number 54342943.”

  “NO!!!!!!” Elsie screamed at the TV. She crumbled to the floor “no.”

  “Eli? Eli?”

  She looked to her left Janelle was standing there with two men dressed in Army uniforms she sniffled “Jan.”

  Janelle gave her a sad look. “Oh honey,” she rushed over to Elsie. She wrapped her arms around the woman as Elsie started to cry.

  “I need him Jan. I need him,” was all she said as her tears started to fall down her cheek.

  ***

  Eric grunted as another fist hit his face. He spit out the blood in his mouth. He was working on a busted lip, a black eye, a partially dislocated jaw and if he was correct a few broken ribs. And he was one of the lucky ones. Out of the seven men they had started with only he Jones and another recruit were left.

  “I’ll be back,” the man said as he patted Eric on the head.

  Eric bowed his head, he closed his eyes; he needed to get out of here. By now the Army had gotten the videoed message and probably the press meaning his wife and children knew of his plight something he wanted to avoid. Elsie was fragile. She wasn’t fragile but she was his to protect which meant he needed to protect her from this.

  “Eric?”

  He opened his eyes as he lifted his head where had his wife come from.

  Elsie smiled at her husband, “you promised to go swimming with me and here you are sleeping.”

  He lifted his hand and touched her cheek how had he gotten here? “Eli?”

  “Yes Eli. Now come; the babies are sleeping and Mara has promised to watch them” Elsie said as she stood.

  Eric followed suit, he swallowed she was beautiful in the emerald green halter top swimsuit. He followed her into the water they were on a beach but where and how? “Bae,” he reached for her in the water. He wrapped his arms around her, “how did I end up here?”

  Elsie smiled at him as she wrapped her arms around his neck, “after you came home we decided a vacation was what we needed.”

  “Came home?”

  She nodded, “from your media tour. You’ve been all over the country for the last year talking about your capture and rescue.”

  “I’ve missed a year of my life.”

  Elsie placed a hand on his cheek, “what are you talking about ‘missing a year of your life’.”

  “I-”

  “Mom? Dad? EJ is crying and I can’t get him to stop.”

  Eric looked over his shoulder at his eldest who in the hell was EJ. He faced his wife, “who is EJ?”

  Elsie shook her head, “honey, are you all right?” She questioned.

  “I’m fine, I’m just confused.”

  “Well, you shouldn’t be” she replied with a smile. “Eric Jr is waiting; I need to go,” Elsie stepped back she waded towards the shore.

  “Eli?” Eric called as he turned to face his wife. He blinked she wasn’t there anymore. He looked to his left then his right the beach was deserted. He looked down he wasn’t in water anymore no he was now in the middle of the desert. How-

  “Who is Eli?”

  Eric blinked once again he was back in captivity. He wasn’t with his wife and children. “My name is Lieutenant Eric -”

  “STOP!” The man hollered as he hit Eric, he was tired of hearing the same information time and again.

  Eric spit out more blood.

  “I will get what I want it is just a matter of time.”

  ***

  Elsie opened and closed her hands as she stood on her back porch she needed to calm her nerves. After Janelle had calmed her down, she was able to sit down and half listen to the Milcome explain to her that they were trying to find Eric and his unit as soon as they could. Elsie wiped at her tears she licked her lips as she swallowed her tears she wanted to hold her husband. She wanted to be wrapped in his arms as they slept in the same bed.

  “Hiding out?”

  Elsie turned she smiled at Janelle. Janelle had apologized several times for the Army officers showing up at her house instead of hers. Even Janelle had been shocked she was listed as Eric’s next of kin instead of Joanna or Elsie. “Better than sitting there listening to Joanna demand answers and my mother mumbling under her breath,” Elsie replied. Joanna had shown on her doorstep demanding to know why she wasn’t consulted. Then Madge had shown telling her this was what she got for getting with a man like Eric. Elsie had wanted both women to leave her alone so she could deal with her husband’s capture.

  Janelle nodded as she sat in one of the lawn chairs, “my sister in law has never known when to say when.”

  Elsie released a breath, “anymore information come through?” opting not to talk about Joanna.

  “I think there has been Milcome is t
alking on the phone but he isn’t saying much”

  Elsie walked over to the chairs and took the one next to Janelle she sat back, “I called Mara I had every intention on telling her what happened but she was at mini golf with her friends so I couldn’t. I did call one of the girl’s mothers and they’re going to keep her busy until I know more.”

  “Good. Elsie believes me when I tell you Eric is going to come back to you. I’ve never heard a man talk about a woman the way Eric talks about you.”

  “I want to believe that Janelle. I want to believe he will come back to me but it’s so hard,” she said as she sniffled.

  “Oh honey, he’ll come back to you and the girls you all mean the world to him.”

  Elsie chuckled a little, “he means the world to me too.” She looked at her friend, “when I first wrote to him it was nothing special then he wrote back and I was scared.”

  “Scared?”

  “I wasn’t looking for a relationship let alone a pen pal then the next thing I know I have both. And it’s amazing. Opening a letter from him getting butterflies in my stomach because I have an e-mail from him.” She wiped at another tear, “I wish I had an e-mail from him now. I wish I was with him now.” She shook her head, “we missed so much time because I was upset about something I shouldn’t have been upset about. I was the one he chose and I should have seen that instead I walked away and now we may never -”

  “Oh darlin’” Janelle stood she kneeled before Elsie and pulled her into her arms. “You weren’t stupid for having the feelings you had. My nephew was stupid for not talking to you. For not telling you everything.”

  “How dare you!”

  Both women turned at the sound of Joanna’s voice.

  “You two are sitting out here calling my son stupid,” Joanna walked out onto the back porch, “if he hadn’t listened to you Jan he wouldn’t be where he is and if he hadn’t married that nigger he wouldn’t have stayed in the Army and -”

  “Get out”

  Joanna looked at Elsie, “excuse me? This is my son’s”

  “This is my home. I pay all the bills in it. Your son only has a few things here but this is my home and I’m telling you to get the hell out of my house” Elsie said as she pulled out of Janelle’s arms. She stood and walked over to Joanna “get out now before I beat the crap out of you”