A Soldier Finds His Way

by Irene Onorato

  Pen in hand, she took a sheet of copy paper and practiced her penmanship. Dear Edward. Dearest Edward. My Dear Edward.

  She rolled the barrel of the pen between her thumb and fingers. This wasn’t a simple endeavor. Simply getting through the salutation proved difficult. The closing wouldn’t be easy either. Sincerely, yours truly, love? Then, there was the important stuff that belonged in the middle.

  She pulled her laptop to the center of the desk and fired it up. Words poured from her heart, right into the keyboard. Arranging and rearranging, she formulated a letter she hoped would convey what she meant to say. Satisfied with her final composition, she penned the words onto the stationery and addressed the envelope.

  * * * *

  At the Post Office half an hour later, Audra pinched the envelope in the fingers of one hand while holding the mail chute open with the other. Why was a simple task of mailing a letter proving to be so difficult? If Edward were here, he’d tell her to relax and breathe in through the nose, and out through the mouth. Of course, if Edward were here, she wouldn’t be mailing him a letter.

  “Come on, lady.” A gruff, ill-mannered voice startled her. “You gonna mail that thing or what? I ain’t got all day.”

  Towering over her shoulder a tall, crotchety old man cast a wrinkle-faced scowl at her. He held a handful of mail near her face and shook it a bit. She dropped the letter into the chute and made a hasty retreat to her car.

  * * * *

  After a morning of organizing their gear, the team stood back from the storage building and waited while Edward locked up. They grumbled about wasting a fine Saturday morning working on base, but they had let the room fall into a state of disarray. Greco hadn’t been pleased. It was lunchtime, and their task was complete for the day. The topic of conversation centered on where they’d like to eat.

  Greco arrived and walked through the middle of the group carrying a large, thick envelope. “Mail call,” he said, slapping the envelope into Dexter’s chest as he passed by.

  Edward paid no mind and stepped back from the men who now surrounded Dexter. What did Edward care? The only mail he ever got was bills and advertisements.

  Greco leaned against one of the short concrete bollards built to prevent vehicles from getting too close to the storage unit. He seemed happy. Too happy. The huge grin pasted across his face seemed to be aimed at Edward.

  The team pressed in as Dexter called names and handed out mail. “Sanchez, Jackson, Alvarez, Marcus.” Once he’d distributed the mail, Dexter turned the envelope upside down and gave it a shake to prove it was empty. “That’s all, folks.”

  “Not so fast, Dex.” The chatter stopped, and the men looked at Greco. “I’ve got one last piece of mail to deliver. Let’s see—”

  Greco took a square pink envelope out of his back pocket, ran it under his nose and gave it a good sniff. “Now, boys, when I picked up this letter, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Would anybody care to guess to whom this estrogen-laced pink envelope is addressed?”

  Dexter took a step and reached for the letter. “It’s for me, right?”

  Greco jerked the envelope back. “Nope, not this time, Casanova. This letter is addressed to our very own Lieutenant Edward Giordano.”

  Heads rotated to look at Edward.

  Ignoring the grinning faces, he made his way forward and snatched the letter from Greco’s hand. Return address, Audra Lorenzo. Postmarked six days ago. He lowered the envelope and met Greco’s gaze.

  While his teammates teased and made light of the situation, Greco’s face expressed something else. Something akin to attaboy, or good for you. Greco’s small smile made it clear that he was pleased to see Edward get something personal, especially this feminine pink envelope.

  Edward gave a nod. “Thanks.”

  Letter in hand, Edward walked away and looked for a place to read in privacy. Not far off, he found a concrete bench and glanced left and right to make sure no one was in sight before he sat. He brought the envelope to his nose. No scent. With an index finger, he opened the flap, taking care not to destroy the envelope. The letter itself was white and had the feel of stiff woven fabric. He pulled it out and read.

  Dear Edward,

  My mind is a jumble of thoughts. Where do I begin? Are you well? Is life treating you kindly? I wish I could hear your voice respond in the affirmative.

  I’m not ashamed to say I think of you often. You brought me back from certain death and cared for me when I was bruised and broken. These are not small things.

  Remember the day we played in the snow? Sometimes I close my eyes and relive it. I can almost feel the cold, fresh air fill my lungs, and hear the snow crunch beneath my feet. Our laughter echoes through my mind and makes me happy all over again.

  I would like to see you, Edward.

  My family has a tradition of getting together for lunch on Easter Sunday. We usually start around 12:30. I’d love it if you would come and join us. It may comfort you to know that Hank will be here as well.

  Please come.

  Affectionately,

  Audra

  Two lines jumped out at him and he read them again under his breath. “I think of you often. I would like to see you.”

  Edward thumbed the calendar on his smart phone. Two weeks until Easter. He folded the letter and slid it back into its envelope. With it safe in the chest pocket of his shirt, he made for the parking area where he had left his bike.

  I think of you often. I would like to see you. The words bounced around his head. He couldn’t turn them off. Our laughter echoes through… He stopped and pulled the letter out of his pocket and searched for the line. Our laughter echoes through my mind and makes me happy all over again.

  He threw his leg over his bike, sat and gave serious thought to the invitation. The possibility of seeing Audra again excited him. Would it be a simple lunch and then good-bye, thanks for coming or would there be more? More would be good. She fit nicely up against him, like a missing puzzle piece. The silky hair that pressed against his cheek made him want to hold her tighter. Audra was a real-deal blonde, a babe, and now she wanted to see him.

  Key in hand, he reached down to start the engine but changed his mind. Instead, he left the key in the ignition, whipped out his phone and called Hank.

  Hank answered after a couple of rings. “Yeah?”

  “I’m going to skip the preliminary chitchat and get straight to the point,” Edward said. “What do you know about the Easter invitation I just received from Audra? Do you think I should accept? Why would she invite me to something that’s obviously a family tradition? What does—”

  “If you’ll stop flapping your jaws long enough for me to get a word in edgewise, Eddie, I’ll answer your questions.” Hank mumbled something Edward strained to hear.

  “Did you just call me an idiot?”

  “That, and a few other things. You need to work on telephone etiquette.”

  Edward kept his mouth shut.

  “That’s better. Now, I’ll tell you what I know. Don’t butt in until I’m done. Are you ready?”

  Edward grunted.

  “Audra called and asked whether or not I thought you’d come if she invited you to her house for Easter. Then, she asked me to come so you’d feel more comfy-cozy about showing up. She asked for your address and I gave it to her. The end. Now, you may speak.”

  “Do you think I should go?”

  Hank let out an over-emphasized sigh. “It amazes me that you’re even asking that question. Without a doubt, you should go.”

  “Catch you later.” Edward hung up.

  The invitation was something he’d seriously consider. Audra was reaching out, making the first moves, wanting to get to know him. She went out of her way to make it easy by inviting Hank.

  He leaned close to one of the rearview mirrors. “I don’t know what she sees in you, but you’d be a fool to pass on this offer.”

  Chapter 18

 
The flight landed in Newburgh, New York, a little behind schedule. Edward gathered his bags and stood in the aisle, glad to be among the first passengers to get off the plane for a change. Leaving the crowd behind, he hustled out of the terminal onto the sidewalk where taxis circled, looking for fares. He shot out a hand and waved down a yellow cab.

  Edward got in, gave the cabbie directions then sat back and turned on his cell phone. The date and time glared up at him. He’d be late, but there was nothing he could do about it. Two voicemail notifications popped up right away, both from Hank.

  “I’ll hunt you down and break your neck if you don’t show up.” More idle threats followed in the second message. He listened and laughed.

  He hit the replay button to hear Audra’s message from a week ago. He’d already listened to it several times, but it never got old hearing her voice.

  “Hello Edward. Hank told me you received my invitation. I hope your silence isn’t a form of refusal. I’d rather think you’re simply too busy to respond. Maybe you’re out in the woods playing war games, or, I don’t know, cleaning your guns or something.”

  She laughed, but then her tone shifted to something more serious. “Easter is a special time. Trees are budding, birds are nesting, and daffodils are blooming.” A soft sigh followed. “It’s as if the whole world wants a fresh start. Please come.”

  Her lyrical words cast a spell, drawing him to her. A fresh start. Who wouldn’t want that?

  * * * *

  Chatter filled the kitchen, but Audra only heard bits and pieces of it. The electric mixer whined in her hand and the beaters clacked against the stainless steel bowl. Whipped potatoes, already whipped to death. Her eyes flitted to the clock on the microwave. Neither of her guests had arrived and twelve-thirty was fast approaching.

  Hank, she was certain, would come. But, her insides quivered like Jell-O, thinking of the possibility of Edward showing up. His was a secret invitation, one she’d only shared with Hank. Should she dare to hope, or was she building herself up for a big disappointment? She’d know soon enough.

  “Hank’s here!” Zoe’s excited screams filled the kitchen. “And, he brought Cricket with him. He’s outside talking to Grandpa.”

  Audra took off her apron, abandoned her task and followed Zoe through the house and out the front door.

  Zoe ran full speed, crashed into Hank, and threw her arms around him.

  He scooped Zoe up and spun her around. He set her down, turned to Audra and waited for her to finish welcoming his excited dog.

  Hank delivered a brief hug and kissed her cheek. “Happy Easter. You look nice. Did you just get back from church?”

  “Thank you. We went to early service. I thought about changing into something more comfortable, but I wanted to look nice in case—”

  “In case Eddie shows up.”

  “Is there any chance of that happening?” The worry in her voice pleaded for an acceptable answer.

  The twins came outside. Robin pointed at Hank’s face with a huge grin. “Hey, who’s keeping an eye on your house now?”

  Hank laughed. Clean-shaven with short-cropped hair, he was nicely dressed and wearing his glass eye, a stark difference from the first time he’d been at the house looking like a bearded, patch-eyed pirate. He pressed a knuckle to Robin’s jaw and gave it a gentle nudge.

  Robin giggled. “You look like a different person than the last time I saw you.” Mischief spread across her face. “No. You just look like a person now.” She took a step back from his playful lunge. The banter and laughter went on as they walked into the house.

  * * * *

  Edward’s phone chimed with instant message. Greco.

  Where R U?

  NY cab.

  Get flowers.

  Flowers? Where was he supposed to get flowers? Wasn’t everything closed on Easter? He went to type, but Greco’s next message popped up before he hit the first letter.

  Ask the cabbie. It’s his turf.

  Edward laughed to himself. Greco thought of everything, and he seemed to have a knack for reading minds. The cabbie’s hack license hung on the dash in a frayed pleather frame. George something-or-other.

  Edward leaned forward and draped an elbow over the front seat. “Hey, George, I don’t suppose you know where I can get a bunch of flowers, do you?”

  The driver looked at him through the rearview mirror. “Going to see your girl?”

  My girl? The idea sounded nice. “Something like that.”

  George smiled and nodded. “Sure. I know a place.”

  Minutes later they were perusing flowers at a roadside stand.

  * * * *

  Audra stood at the living room window with a view of the long, empty driveway. No sign of Edward. The room buzzed with chatter as Hank reacquainted himself with the family. They embraced him with warmth and acceptance as a welcome friend. Kyle introduced Hank to his wife, Sarah, their two sons, and infant daughter.

  Dad entered the room and clapped a few times. Everyone turned to look. “Come on, everybody, let’s eat.”

  Audra lagged behind as the others left the room and stayed at the window until the last minute. Maybe Edward was running late, or had a flat tire. Or worse, wasn’t coming at all.

  She took a deep, cleansing breath and turned away. Ducking into the hall bathroom for a moment, she checked herself in full-length mirror on the back of the door. Her go-to dress, the one she wore when she wanted to look her best, flattered her figure with its simple lines. Vanessa once told her the fabric’s shade of blue made her eyes sparkle. She pushed her shoulders back and went to the dining room. Her father bowed his head and asked the blessing.

  Dad sat at the head of the table with Mom to his left. Audra, at the opposite end of the table from her mother, glanced at the empty chair to her left, hoping it wouldn’t be empty for long. Across from her, Hank sat between the twins. Robin seemed to have a crush on Hank. She hung on his every word and giggled when nothing in particular was funny.

  Serving dishes made their way around the table. Audra took a polite spoonful of this and that and pushed it around her plate with her fork while everyone else helped themselves to generous portions and ate with hearty appetites. Clusters of conversations started. Dad talked about work, Vanessa talked about homeschooling Zoe, and the twins rambled about high-school nonsense with Hank. Audra tuned them out, put on a social smile, and nodded when she deemed it appropriate.

  * * * *

  The taxi turned onto the Lorenzo driveway and made its way to a line of cars parked by the side of the house.

  Edward spotted Hank’s vehicle and pointed. “Pull over behind the Jeep.” He got out, grabbed his bags and set the bouquet of flowers on top of them. He leaned in the passenger side window with his wallet in his hand. “How much do I owe you, George?”

  The silver-haired man shook his head. “How much do I owe you, soldier?” With a gentle touch, he pushed Edward’s wallet back toward him. “It’s been an honor and a privilege to be of some small service to a man in uniform. Happy Easter, Lieutenant.”

  The cabbie locked hands with Edward, bid him good-bye, then made a U-turn and left.

  Edward tossed his bags on the hood of the Jeep and went toward the front of the house with flowers in hand. He climbed the porch steps and stood at the front door. His finger hovered over the doorbell for a few seconds before dropping his hand to his side. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all. He gave a quick look around. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. He rang the bell.

  * * * *

  Audra drew a sharp breath and rose quickly. “Edward.”

  “Edward?” The name bounced around the table as Audra sprang out of her chair and hurried to the foyer.

  Audra paused at the door. Could Edward actually be on the other side? Her trembling hand reached for the doorknob. As the door opened, a light breeze danced in, carrying with it the scent of lilies.

  The man who came to her in her drea
ms and filled her thoughts by day stood behind a large bouquet of beautiful flowers. Edward. Her hand flew up to cover her mouth, but it couldn’t hold back the choking sob that came from somewhere deep inside her. Her tears could not be held back. They overpowered and rendered her unable to perform the simple act of reaching for the gift he held out to her.

  Edward stepped inside and set the bouquet on the side table.

  Their eyes remained locked on one another’s. Tears coursed down her cheeks without restraint. She thrust herself into his arms and wrapped hers firmly around his neck.

  His hold on her was tight, almost too tight.

  She didn’t complain.

  His face pressed against her hair and dropped down to nuzzle her neck.

  She couldn’t tell if it was a kiss or the warmth of his breath that brushed below her ear. “I can’t believe you’re actually here.”

  “I’m here.” He loosened his grip and started to pull back.

  She held him in a tight grip. “Not yet.”

  Edward squeezed her close once again.

  Chapter 19

  Edward breathed Audra’s feminine scent. Perfume, shampoo? Inherently female, whatever it was. Her body relaxed against his with palpable contentment. Her warm hand rested on the nape of his neck. Soft, gentle, comforting. Heat spread down his shoulders and arms, releasing tension from his rigid muscles. The knot of apprehension that had twisted his insides moments ago vanished.

  The intensity of her greeting was unexpected, but not unwelcome. Sooner or later he’d have to let go of her. He chose later. This was more than a fleeting sensual feeling. This was uncharted emotional territory. A switch had been thrown that wouldn’t easily be turned off. As tightly as Audra held him, she had to be feeling the same thing.

  Zoe sniffled in the hall a few feet from Audra’s back. The woman standing next to Zoe could only be her mother, Vanessa. Same color hair, same springy curls.

  “I’m sorry to disturb you,” Vanessa said, her eyes moist. “But, I have a little girl here who may very well explode if she doesn’t get to say hello to a certain soldier right away.”