A Soldier to Love (6 page)

“Bae,” he reached out a hand to her “I love you,” he said as he placed a hand on her cheek, “you are the only one I love. There is no one else.”

Elsie sniffled “there is and you asked her to marry you.”

“El”

“Please take me back to the house.”

Eric nodded he didn’t know what else to say or do.

***

“I didn’t mean to cause any problems.”

Janelle looked at Maggie she’d gone almost pale white when she’d been told Eric was married. She had even wanted to leave but Janelle had gotten her to stay until Eric and Elsie returned. Eric and Maggie had some things to hash out and that wouldn’t happen if the woman left again. “I’m sure you didn’t,” Janelle finally said.

Maggie looked into her coffee she was foolish to think Eric would wait around for her. She’d basically betrayed him no matter the reason she had taken from the one person who never treated him properly. She looked at Janelle, “he seems happy.”

“He is. Elsie and he meet through Mara’s school project. They’ve been talking for months and when he came home this last time he asked her, Elsie, to marry him.”

“And here I am making assumptions.”

Janelle shook her head, “you didn’t know and I didn’t tell you.”

“You shouldn’t have had to. I should have known better. I was gone for almost a year. What made me think Eric would wait around for me? Would forgive me for what I did.”

“I wish I could tell you something different. I wish I could make it better for you Maggie but you’re the only one who can do that.”

Maggie nodded, “I shouldn’t have come here. I should have written Eric a letter or an e-mail asking for forgiveness and if I didn’t hear from him then I knew he hadn’t forgiven me.”

Janelle reached out a hand and placed it over Maggie’s, “you wanted to make amends.”

“I did and now his wife probably thinks he is still in love with me. He’s not. I saw how he looked when she walked out that door. They were of a defeated man. A man who thought he had lost everything just by one statement.”

Janelle turned when the back door opened. She released a breath when Elsie and Eric walked through the door. She stood quickly, “oh honey, you are soaked to the bone.”

Elsie smiled sadly she nodded to Janelle and Maggie, “I’m gonna head up and take a shower.”

“I’ll be up-”

“Don’t bother,” Elsie said to Eric as she walked away from him.

Eric walked further into the kitchen he closed the door behind him.

“I’m gonna go check on the girls,” Janelle said as she turned and headed out of the kitchen.

Eric nodded as he walked over to the counter he picked up the dish towel there and rubbed it over his head. This was not how any of this was supposed to go. No he was supposed to come home show his family off then head to Chattanooga to start his new post and life. Instead his past was coming back to haunt him.

“I’m sorry.”

“I believe we covered that.”

Maggie stood she walked over to the center island, “I didn’t mean to cause any problems.”

“Then you shouldn’t have come,” Eric said as he turned to face her, “my life was just fine with you not in it.”

“I owed you an explanation.”

“One that should have come soon after you left not now. Not when you’ve potentially exploded my family.”

“I didn’t mean to Eric. I promise you I didn’t.”

“Really because I haven’t seen nor heard from you in almost a year and now here you are telling the woman I’m married to, that I love, that you’re my fiancée.”

“I didn’t know who she was.”

“Because you didn’t deserve to know”

“If I would have known then I wouldn’t have put my foot in my mouth.”

“Really cause the fact I came in here and called her ‘honey’ should have tipped you off.”

“‘Honey’ is a relative terms around here. It’s the south.”

Eric shook his head, “you gave your apology now please leave.”

“I would like to apologize to Elsie.”

“No!” He calmed Elsie was going through enough right now she did not need Maggie’s apology, she needed his. His wife believed that on some level she wasn’t worthy of love. That she wasn’t beautiful enough or that she harbored some flaw that turned men off. And this did not help in her understanding that she was loveable. Always would be to him.

“Eric, I have the right to tell a woman who’s married to the man I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with that I am sorry I walked into this house and hurt her.”

“I don’t want you to speak to her. I just want you to leave.”

“I-” Maggie sighed, “I’m sorry Eric I really am I didn’t mean to hurt anyone.”

“Tell me this. Why now? Why was it so important that you give your apology now? You could have said something anything before now. So tell me why it was so all important to tell me how sorry you were that you took money from my mother to walk away from me.”

“Carlos needed me.”

“And you thought I wouldn’t have done everything in my power to help in any and everything you would need.”

“I don’t know. I just knew I needed to help my brother. I needed to get him the help.”

“So you took from the one woman who could care less about me unless it is to help her or Julia get out of trouble.”

“Eric-”

“Please leave. You have your absolution. I forgive you,” he said before he tossed the towel into the sink and stalked from the kitchen.

Maggie watched him go absolution was not to be hers this day.

***

“Mom?” Mara called as she walked into her mother and Eric’s room. What a trip this was turning out to be. They had been happy on the way to Hanson Eric talking about his time on the farm and how Mara would love it. Then it seemed everything that could or would go wrong has.

Elsie wiped at her tears she had cried in the shower, out of the shower and before she went in search of her daughters she’d promised herself she was going to have one last cry. She sniffled straightened her shoulders and headed out of the bathroom “yeah.”

Mara faced her mother she gave her a sad smile, “are you ok?”

“I’m fine. Where is your sister?”

“Auntie Jan has her and you don’t look all right,” Mara said as she walked over to her mother.

“Mara, I’m fine. Now it seems like this rain isn’t going to let up anytime soon. So how about we see about renting a movie on the laptop and sitting and watching it with Auntie Jan” Elsie said she didn’t want her daughter worrying about her. She would be fine she just needed to sit down and think because that was the last thing she had been doing in the shower. She’d only been feeling and now it was time for action. “You head down and ask Auntie about the movie and I will be down in a minute.”

Mara nodded slowly to her mother turned and headed out of the room. She knew her mother was hurting but her mom wasn’t going to tell her because she thought Mara didn’t need to be involved in ‘grown folks’ business as she called it.

“Are you ready to listen?”

Elsie turned her back to Eric, “I don’t believe there is anything else to say,” she needed to find a cab to come and get her and the girls. Getting back to Georgia was going to put a dent into her saving but maybe she could go back to work early saving them from a big hole in their budget.

“There’s a lot more I have to say.”

Elsie closed her eyes as Eric’s breath caressed her neck she had to be strong here. She could not waver. She needed to leave here and file for an annulment.

“Eli, please listen to me.”

She turned her head slightly, “what would you like to say? I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I didn’t know how to tell you about Maggie or the engagement.”

“All of the above.”

“How about you just tell me,” she rounded on him, “I told you about Mara’s father walking out on me leaving me with so much debt it took me years to climb out. I told you about meeting Rae’s father.”

“I’m Rae’s father and Mara’s. Those men”

“Were in my life. They were the reason I made the choices I made in life because I needed to be strong I needed to be able to stand on my own two feet. Hell on my own period. I opened my heart to you. I feel in love with you and this, this you keep from me.”

“I promise you I did not mean to keep this from you. I had every intention on telling you.”

“When? Huh? When your mother mentioned it? When you sister? Because you know they would since I’m not the right shade. Or maybe you intended to come clean when we went to the county fair and we ran into people who knew you and Maggie were together and engaged. Something tells me this was not a secret.”

“It wasn’t.”

“But it was to me. I told you everything. I walked through my life because you asked me to and this one thing you couldn’t even tell me. How unfair is that?”

Eric sighed, “very”

“I’m glad you realize it.” Elsie said as she stepped around him and headed out towards the room door.

“Where does this leave us?”

She stilled at the entrance, “I have no clue” was all she said before she walked out of the door.

“I’m an idiot.”

“Yeah, I would have to agree,” Jones said as he ran beside Eric along the streets of the Army Post two weeks later. “So where is Elsie now?”

“Back in Atlanta,” Eric said as he slowed allowing his body to cool down.

Jones did the same, “and you’re back in Post housing.”

Eric nodded, “There was no point in going to the Post Housing Office and get on the waiting list for a house. My wife isn’t talking to me and is probably seeking and annulment.”

Jones sigh, “Sorry man, but I have to agree with Eli on this.”

“I thought you were my friend.”

“I am but something like this is not a secret you keep,” He replied as he stopped running and just started walking.

Eric followed suit, “I didn’t know how to tell her.”

“How about opening your mouth and just saying it”

“You sound like Eli.”

Jones shrugged.

“I don’t know what to do anymore Jones. I’ve sent flowers, gifts and called her but all she does is let me speak with Mara when I call or she’ll show me the baby on video chat. She won’t talk to me.”

“Have you tried not taking ‘no’ for an answer.”

Eric looked at him in confusion.

“Come my boy; let me tell you how to win your wife back.”

***

This was not what you wore to a high school ROTC Drill meet. Elsie turned in the dress Synette had convinced her to try on. Her friend has come to her and told her she was spending too much time in the house moping about Eric. And if she wanted her husband back she needed to come to terms with what was going on and forgive him. She, Elise, had come to that conclusion about a week ago. Ok so he lied. But she was the one he married. She was the one he’d come after. He had wanted her, Elsie, not Maggie.

“Let me see.”

“Syn this is not something you wear to a drill meet,” Elsie said as she walked out of the dressing room.

“Well damn who knew,” Synette said her friend was standing before her in an A-line cotton halter topped sundress which came to the floor. She smiled the dress hugged Elsie in all the right places showing off her friend’s coke bottle figure. Usually Elsie wore oversized clothes which hinted at her curves but didn’t show them.

“I still think I should not be wearing this,” Elsie replied her daughter’s Drill Team had made it to the State Finals and Eric was going to be there. Because of this factor Syn thought it would be a good idea to show the man what he was missing. Like he didn’t already know. She was one being the fool.

“And why not?” Synette questioned her friend had an amazing body and the baby just added to it.

Elsie looked at her friend, “I’m someone’s mother. I should be dressed in a t-shirt and jeans. Ok shorts because its summer not in a halter top.”

Synette walked the small distance over to her friend. She placed her hands on Elsie’s shoulders and turned her towards the mirror outside the dressing rooms, “you are married to a hot Army Ranger who wants to be with his wife. I’ve seen the flowers, cards and heard his voice when he talks about you,” she had been at the house the other day when Eric had called she had not heard a man want a woman so much a day in her life. Eric sounded wounded and lost without the woman standing before her.

Elsie sighed her house looked like a flower shop. The man sent every type of rose he could find and when those didn’t get a reaction out of her he started on the Stargazer lilies. Each bouquets card stated ‘I love you’, ‘I miss you’, ‘Please come home’, ‘There is no one in the world I love more than you and our girls’, ‘You are the air I breath’, ‘The reason I live’…… she had cried at almost every card. Cried and called herself a fool for walking away instead of fighting for what she had with Eric. “I still”

“It’s not. Now come on we have shoes to buy to go along with this dress.”

***

He was late. Damn it. He didn’t want to be late but he’d gotten caught in traffic behind a three car pileup and now he was walking into the Cobb County Civic Center just as Mara and her squad were walking onto the floor. Eric quickly found a seat he’d wanted to be early so he could tell his girl good luck and he was proud of her but that wasn’t to be the case. He watched as his daughter stood strong and proud. Following the steps she had practiced and leading a few. He smiled she was a natural. When the team was finished he stood whistling and cheering for his daughter and her team.

“Whoo Hoo Mara”

Eric turned his head he sucked in a breath his wife was standing up in a form hugging dress with their daughter on her shoulder and her hair in braids cascading down her back. She was a vision and she would be his tonight. He moved from his seat and headed in her direction. Mara’s squad had been the last of the event. They were now awaiting the judges scores which meant he and his wife could talk. He swallowed as he watched her bounce the baby in her arms Raelyn had turned three weeks yesterday and he had sent his wife another bouquet of flowers commemorating the event. She had sent him a text thanking him with a picture of Rae beside the flowers. That picture was his phone’s screensaver.

“Where is Eric?”

He stopped his progress he was really not in the mood to deal with his mother in law.

“I told you mom, he’s in Clarksville waiting on his new orders.” Elsie told her mother. This had been the story she rehearsed when she had gotten a back to Georgia she was not going to tell her mother the truth.

“Humph. I don’t believe you. I told you marrying that boy would bring you nothing but heartache.”

“Momma this is not the time or the place,” Elsie said as she smiled at a few other parents.

“When would be the time or the place? You don’t come to the house. You don’t come to family gatherings. You do nothing but sit in that house and take care of that baby. A baby who needs a father. I told you when Mara was a baby that you should have given her to family so she wouldn’t have grown up without a father and end up on a stripper pole. You should have done the same thing with that one” Madge said as she pointed to Raelyn.

Elsie braced a hand on her daughter’s back she leaned closer to her mother, “I am only going to say this once. I’ve done a wonderful job without Mara’s father. He walked away never to see his child again. He wants nothing to do with Mara and that is his choice not mine.”

“And this one. He the same way because it seems like no man wants the children you have. Maybe you’re the reason your children have no fathers and you have no husband.”

“I-”

“Eli”

Elsie straightened, she faced Eric.

He walked over to her he could see the tears brimming. Madge’s statements were uncalled for. He slipped and arm around her waist and brought her to his chest she smelled so good and felt so good in his arms. He kissed her temple before she laid her head on his shoulder. She did not deserve what her mother was saying to her. Elsie was a wonderful woman who loved with her whole heart and the fact two losers couldn’t see that was not Elsie’s fault. “Ms. Madge, how are you?”

Madge huffed, “would be better if you took care of my daughter and didn’t leave her.”

Eric smiled, “I take very good care of you daughter ma’am. She wants for nothing and she is always in my thoughts.”

“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.