A Soldier to Love (3 page)

Elsie swallowed as tears ran down her cheek, “I hate surprises.”

Eric reached out and wiped her tears, “I know.”

She chuckled as she reached up and placed a hand on his cheek, “you haven’t shaved.”

“Haven’t had time. I got my orders got on a plane and came home to you.”

“Eric-”

He shook his head, “we’ll talk after.”

Elsie nodded, knowing they had a lot to talk about.

***

No one could be this beautiful. No one was supposed to be this beautiful but what had Elsie expected her oldest was beautiful so why shouldn’t her baby. She lifted Raelyn to her lips and kissed her on the forehead. She lowered the baby and smiled at the man who was standing next to her bed. While she’d been in the operating room she’d gotten nervous about having a c-section. She’d been so nervous the nurse had called Eric into the room to be with her. He had held her hand and had her lean into him so they could give her an epidural. His calming demeanor and clean woodsy spice smell had calmed her to the point she had almost fallen asleep.

“She’s beautiful.”

Elsie smiled, “thank you.”

Eric nodded; he sat down on the bed reached out and ran a hand over the baby’s soft head. After she had come out the nurse had taken her into another room and cleaned her up. Then she’d brought the baby out and placed her into his, Eric’s, arms. He had taken one look at the little girl and knew he was going to be in her life for as long as he lived. He looked at Elsie, “we haven’t really had time to talk names.”

Elsie nodded; she passed him the baby, “RaeLyn.”

Eric looked at her in surprise, “Raelyn?” He knew men weren’t supposed to cry, but he could feel a tear about to escape “you-”

She placed a hand lightly on his cheek, “I want to.” She smiled at him; “RaeLyn Janelle,” she finished. She had decided at just that moment she’d name her baby after the woman who encouraged her to pursue a friendship with this extraordinary man. Elsie was removing her hand when Mara and her mother walked into the room. She had seen the looks her mother had given when Eric was in the room.  At the time she wasn’t in the mood to explain but she knew her mother would want answers.

“Can I?” Mara questioned, while her mother was in surgery with Eric she had been in the family waiting room fielding questions from her Nana about Eric. She had given as little response as possible. Her mother and Eric’s relationship was their own and it was not her place to say anything about it. Especially since she knew Eric wanted more from her mother then her mother even knew.

Eric stood, he passed the baby to Mara he wanted a picture of the girls to show his team. He pulled his phone from his pocket. He took a picture of his girls before Mara walked over to the rocker in the room and sat down.

“Who are you?”

Eric faced the woman who’d spoken this was Elsie only in an older version. “I’m -”

“This is Eric, Momma,” Elsie interrupted. It was her responsibility to introduce him to her mother. “Eric Reynolds he’s-”

“RaeLyn’s father,” Eric finished as he walked over to her mother holding out his hand. The shocked look on the women’s faces was priceless. How did this white boy come to have a brown baby? That was information she didn’t need to know. All she needed to know was that he was here and he was claiming RaeLyn, her mother and sister. When his hand went unshaken and the woman turned their attention to Elsie he knew all hell was about to break lose.

“You told that boy that, that brown baby is his!”

Elsie looked at her mother, “Mom”

“I can’t believe you. Anyone can see that baby does not belong to him. How could you -”

“Stop!” Eric looked at Mara “sweetie, take your sister for a walk around the floor. Make sure and stay close.”

Mara nodded, she got up and walked from the room.

Eric waited until the door was closed before he spoke, “Elsie just got out of major surgery having
my
daughter. I will not have her upset because she didn’t speak with you about me,” he walked over to Elsie; he reached out and took her hand “if you are not here to congratulate us on the birth of our child I will ask you to leave.”

Elsie stared at him she had never had anyone stick up for her like this. She’d always been the one sticking up for others.

“Who in the hell do you think you’re talking to?” Madge questioned she was not about to let some nasty looking white boy tell her what she could and could not do with her daughter. “My selfish lying daughter has -”

“Stop right there ma’am. Raelyn carries my father and grandmother’s names. My name will be on her birth certificate. As I’ve said before just because Elsie didn’t tell you about me doesn’t mean I’m not her man or Raelyn’s father.”

“You can say you are that baby’s father until Jesus comes back but it still won’t make it true,” Madge demanded.

“B-”

“Raelyn’s real father relinquished parental rights to her,” Elsie said she was not about to have Eric explain anything to her mother.

Eric looked at Elsie when had this happened. The last he heard the man wanted nothing to do with Elsie or Raelyn. He had no clue why no man wouldn’t want the beautiful woman before him. He sat down on the bed “when-”

“Before my doctor’s appointment,” Elsie licked her lips, “I’d threaten to place him on child support.”

“Eli, I told you”

“I know what you said Eric, but he was there with me. He needed to face the consequences. I have.”

Eric released a breath he understood to a point, “please tell me he didn’t upset you. Because if he did -”

Elsie placed a hand on his, “your over protectiveness is sexy but no he didn’t upset me.”

“Good,” he covered her hand with his “I love you.”

“Eric,” she started as she removed her hand.

He shook his head, “I came here directly from Tennessee because I have plans on marrying you and making sure your babies carry my name.” He told her. He was not going to let her deal with this all alone. He wanted the family that was placed in his lap because of a school project.

Elsie stared at him “really?”

Eric chuckled as he reached into his pocket he pulled out the ring his Aunt Jan had sent him. He’d explained to her what his plans were and that he and Elsie would be coming to visit her as soon as she, Elsie, was able to travel. He presented her with the ring, “Elsie will you marry me?”

Elsie looked at the ring completely in shock. It was the most beautiful ring she had ever seen it was an emerald cut blue amethyst; her birthstone. She looked at Eric, “how?”

He smiled at her, “my Aunt in Tennessee. She sent it to me about two weeks ago. I was slowly paying it off and when the final payment was made I had it sent to her for safe keeping then she sent it to me.”

“Two weeks. You’ve been planning this for two weeks?”

Eric nodded; he lifted her left hand, “I knew I wanted to marry you three months into our correspondence but I wanted more than a week for us to get married and spend time as a family. I needed my orders.”

She looked at him in confusion “what-”

“The Army has a transportation branch in Chattanooga with an opening. I’ve asked to be transferred to the position. I’m awaiting my orders. While I’m waiting we can get married, and spend some much needed time together.”

“You don’t-”

“My unit is off rotation for the next two weeks.”

Elsie wanted to cry, “You’ve thought of everything.”

“That’s what a man is supposed to do, right?” He replied as he wiped at her tears.

“I don’t know really. I’ve been let down so many times by-”

“Not here. Not with me,” he told her as he slipped his ring on her finger.

Elsie looked at her hand then the man before her, “I’ve loved you for a very long time,” she said through her tears.

“So that’s a yes?”

Elsie nodded not being able to speak. She reached forward and placed her lips on his. She was going to marry this beautiful wonderful man.

Nothing had really changed. Eric thought as he got out of the car at the only gas station in his home town of Hanson. He checked his wife and daughters; they were still sleeping, before he headed into the station. He smiled he and Elsie had been married for a week and he couldn’t have been happier. He nodded to the young man behind the counter. And what a week it had been. He had stayed at his wife’s townhouse getting familiar with three a.m. feedings, the constant chatter of a teenage girl and the feel of his wife in his arms as she drifted off to sleep. Eric picked up a bag of chips and headed to the drink cooler. All the time he was holding her he’d smile because she was finally in his arms. He was finally smelling her beautiful jasmine scent and she was finally wearing his ring. He hadn’t really wanted to get married while she was in the hospital but for them to get post housing when his orders came through they needed to be married. They could have gotten married after his orders were processed but he didn’t want to wait to claim her as his wife.

Eric was paying for a tank of gas and his snacks when a huge truck rolled into the station making so much noise he was positive it’d wake his family. Eric gathered his purchases and headed out of the store Elsie needed her rest between her family coming to the house wanting to see Raelyn and finding out who he was; packing up the townhouse and a newborn she was dog tired. He walked out of the store and over to the car. He looked into the car his family was still sleeping. Good. He could fill up then head out to Aunt’s. He’d spoken to Jan just this morning telling her they would be at her farm, which was an hour west of Nashville, before five and he was determined to keep his promise.

“Eric?”

He turned at the sound of his sister’s voice the last time he had seen or spoken to his sister it was before his last deployment. Then Julia had been telling him all the things wrong with his life. She had been telling him that their mother was right and he was making the worse mistake of his life. She had also informed him that Maggie would leave him if given the right incentive. He had partially listened thinking his sister was wrong about Maggie and his deployment. “Hey Jules” he said as he replaced the pump. His sister looked like the last time she had bathed was a week ago. Her brown hair was limp and her clothing was baggy and dirty add in the fact she looked emaciated and he had no clue who the woman before him was. Because she definitely was not his happy and healthy sister from back then.

Julia rushed over to her brother it had been a year since she had seen or talked to him. She threw herself into his arms she’d missed him so much.

Eric reluctantly wrapped his arms around his sister. She felt grimy and sticky.

Julia pulled back she placed a hand on her brother’s face; “I haven’t seen or heard from you in almost a year.”

Eric nodded; he wanted to pull his face away from her touch but he could see if he did Julia wouldn’t know why. Her hands were degusting and they smelled of something he couldn’t identify but made him want to throw up. He smiled at his sister as he slowly pulled away from her. He couldn’t have whatever was on her body touching him not with his girls close to him. “Jules I’ve been in the dessert for the last six months mail is a little slow coming and going,” he replied. She hadn’t heard from him in a year because every letter he had written her had been returned unopened.

Julia tossed her hair over her shoulder, “well you’re home and I am so glad.” She clapped, “I’ll call Momma and we can have dinner at the cafe. I’m positive all in town want to see a war hero.”

Eric nodded he was not in the mood to deal with the town “I would love to take you up on your offer Julia but Aunt Jan is expecting me and my family.”

“Family?”

Eric nodded, “yes”; he lifted his left hand “I got married.”

“Married!” Julia screeched; she hoped Maggie hadn’t come back into Eric’s life. Her mother had made sure the woman never came back again.

Eric winced at his sister’s high pitched voice, “yes, married, her name is Elsie.”

Thank goodness it wasn’t Maggie. She hadn’t thought the woman was good enough for Eric. Her brother was a good man. He worked hard and deserved the best and Maggie was defiantly not the best. She always thought she was better than everyone else. “Like the cow. Why?”

“Eric?”

He faced Elsie “sweetheart,” he walked the short distance to her.

Elsie gave the woman staring at her a little smile then looked at Eric, “how long have I been sleeping?”

“How three hours”

“The baby didn’t wake?” She questioned, as she watched from the corner of her eye as the woman Eric was talking to, moved a little closer to them. Elsie wondered who the woman was because she reeked of something Elsie couldn’t place but it was about to make her puke.

He shook his head, “she stirred a little then Mara placed her hand on her stomach and she went back to sleep.”

“Good.” Elsie reached out and placed a hand on his arm, “I’m gonna head to the washroom then we can head out,” she replied; she was eager to meet Eric’s Aunt Jan. The woman sounded amazing from all of Eric’s stories about her and his time on her farm with Jan and her husband.

Eric nodded.

Elsie removed her hand turned and headed into the station.

“That’s who you married?!”

Eric faced his sister “yes,” he replied sensing Julia was about to say something insensitive about the mother of his children.

“Why couldn’t you have married someone who looked better than her?”

Eric wanted to shake his sister for her comment. Elsie was beautiful. She had a coke bottle shape, one in which she had while pregnant and after. Her skin was blemish free and smooth to the touch. “Julia Elsie is beautiful. More beautiful than any woman I have been with before.”

“You are not serious. One she’s huge. Two she’s a ni-”

“Julia, you will not speak about my wife like that do you understand me,” his mother’s views had always been shut down by their father growing up but after their father died their mother had joined several groups who believed like she did and she had taken Julia to a few meetings. While his Aunt Jan had kept him away from it by working the farm.

Julia shook her head, “Momma is not going to accept her.” Julia said as she folded her arms over her chest.

“Mom has no say in who I marry. Not after what she’s done.”

“She was only trying to protect you.”

“Yeah, right; she was trying to protect herself.”

“Maggie was turning you against us.”

“She was not. She was just supporting me in my life. Something Mom has never done.”

“You make Mom sound like a horrible person. She’s not, Eric.”

“Maybe not to you but to me”

“I’m not going to argue with you about this. All I will say is
that
” she point towards the station “will not be accepted by me or Mom.”

“I’m all done,” Elsie said interrupting Eric’s response to his sister’s comment. She walked over to him. “Is everything ok?” She questioned as she looked at Eric. He was upset and staring at the woman before him like he wanted to harm her. Something Elsie knew he would never do.

Eric calmed before he looked at his wife he didn’t want her to be afraid because of his temper. “Everything is fine Eli.” He told her as he wrapped his arms around her waist, “honey this is my sister Julia,” he faced Julia “Julia, my wife Elsie.”

Elsie held out her hand to the young woman, “nice to meet you Julia.”

“Sure,” she looked at Eric. “I’ll call Momma and tell her you’re in town,” Julia replied as she turned and walked over to the truck.

Elsie lowered her hand there was no need to be rude she faced Eric “that was”

“Rude.” Eric released a breath, “I’m sorry she treated you like that.”

Elsie placed a hand on his chest “I’m fine,” she smiled at him, “come on your Aunt is waiting.”

Eric placed a hand over hers; he smiled at her, “thank you for understanding.”

“She gets one pass if she’s rude again. I will let her know in no uncertain terms that it is unacceptable.”

He bent towards her “do what you must,” he said before he placed his lips on hers.

*
**

Janelle wiped her brow as she walked from the barn she would need to call Carl, the town mechanic, to come and check out her tractor. There was something stuck in the machine which she could not reach causing the machine not to run properly and she needed the darn thing for the harvest which was coming up. She headed towards her house if Eric was back in the States she’d call him to come and check out the machine but her nephew was in another country placing his life in danger for the freedoms in which we all enjoyed. She wished her sister-in-law could understand that. Every time she, Janelle, saw the woman all she would do was sneer at Janelle and blame her for the fact Eric had joined the Army.

Janelle stepped onto her porch what had Joanna expected her, Janelle, to do. Continue to watch Joanna try and lead Eric down the wrong path. She had already corrupted Julia she was not going to let the woman do the same to Eric. Janelle shook her head no she wanted Eric away from Joanna and Julia before they got him in trouble he couldn’t get out of. Janelle turned when she heard someone coming down her drive. She shielded her eyes as she watched the small SUV approach she hadn’t been expecting anyone she wondered who it was.

She stepped off her porch and walked slowly towards the car which was parking. She swallowed hard when she saw her nephew exit the driver’s side. She raced towards him as he walked around the front of the car. “Oh Eric!” She cried as she wrapped her arms around him.

Eric wrapped his arms around Janelle. As he had gotten closer to her home he had gotten nervous. She hadn’t seen his Aunt Janelle in almost a year. He kissed her temple, “I missed you Auntie.”

Janelle pulled back slightly she sniffled as she wiped at her tears, “not as much as I’ve missed you.”

“I doubt that,” Eric said with a smile. He sniffled then released his Aunt, “there are some people I want you to meet.”

“Really?” She questioned him with confusion marring her face.

“Yes, come” Eric turned her towards Elsie and the girls, while he was holding the only person he considered a true parent his, his wife had gotten out of the car. “Janelle Artson. My wife Elsie and our daughters Mara Ella and Raelyn Janelle.”

Janelle smiled at Elsie, “nice to finally meet you Elsie. I’ve enjoyed our conversations,” she said as she recognized the woman she had been talking to for the last six months.

Eric looked from his Aunt to his wife. What had he missed?

Elsie chuckled as she walked over to Janelle she embraced the woman. “You look just like your picture.”

“So do you,” Janelle said as she returned her hug she had seen her picture online also and thought she was a lovely young woman. She pulled back, “I never knew you were writing to Eric.”

Elsie shrugged, “And I didn’t know he was your nephew.”

Eric walked over to both women, “either of you want to tell me what’s going on.”

Both laughed a little. “We have a lot to tell you,” Janelle said as she released Elsie “but first we have dinner to prepare. Come on inside. I can’t wait to spend time with my new family.”

***

Mara walked into the room she would be staying in while visiting her new Aunt it was quite lovely with light yellow walls and a queen size bed with a lace and cream comforter on it. She walked over to the bed and placed her oversized bag on it. Her life had changed so much in the last week. Not only did she get a new sister but a Dad too. She knew she was too old to call Eric Dad but she would so Raelyn would know that he was both their Dad.

“So do you like the room?” Janelle questioned as she walked into the room. It had been so long since she had had a teenage girl in her home.

Mara looked at Janelle; she seemed nervous about her, Mara, being in the room “it’s very nice.”

Janelle walked over to the bed and placed the clean sheets she had in her hands on the bed “I’m glad you like it. My daughter Avery painted it before she left for California.”

“Oh” Mara said, as she removed her bag from the bed and pulled the comforter off to start making the bed.

“Yes she has very demanding job which means she doesn’t visit much.” She said as she helped Mara make the bed. “If you like you can change the color in here. I’d like for you to think of this as your second home.”

Mara stilled, “are you sure?” She had just meet Janelle she didn’t want to come into her home and change things especially something which belonged to her daughter.

Janelle finished making the bed she nodded, “the room needs some updating and who better to do it than my new niece.”

Mara smiled at her, “thanks. I’ll talk to my Mom and Eric about it.”

“Good. Now I’m going to go check dinner.”

“Are my Mom and Eric still walking around the farm?” Mara questioned. Once Eric had shown them around the house he had pulled her mother outside. Mara knew they wanted some alone time so she had stayed in the house with her Aunt and sister.

Janelle chuckled slightly, she was positive; Eric was doing more than showing Elsie around the farm. “I believe so. Now you settle in and don’t worry about Raelyn I’ll see to her.”