A Soldier to Love (7 page)

“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.

“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 talking 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”

Joanna huffed as she turned and walked back into the house.

“Where’s the wicked witch going?” Madge questioned

“She’s leaving and unless you are here to give moral support I would appreciate if you would leave also” Elsie said as she headed back into her house

“You’re not serious.”

“I am,” she replied, she nodded to the officer sitting on her couch; she looked around Milcome was nowhere to be seen. She would inquire about him after she dealt with her mother.

“You are my daughter, you need me.”

Elsie headed to her kitchen what she needed was a glass of wine. Hell the whole bottle but she would refrain if any news came along about Eric she wanted to be clear headed “mother please don’t play the you need me card because right now I don’t. What I need is my husband and you being here is not helping me,” she finished as she reached for a glass in the dish drainer.

“How can you say that to me?”

Elsie closed her eyes, she breathed in and out she needed to get her temper under control, “how can I say that. Not five minutes after Joanna walked in the door you did,” she opened her eyes and looked at her mother “and instead of comfort from either of you. You and Joanna got into a verbal sparring match about the merits of my marriage something I don’t need right not.”

“It’s not like I wasn’t telling the truth. If he hadn’t married you, then you would not have been here in this house wondering if he was dead or alive. You would have been with Raelyn’s, I still hate that name, father.”

“You get that he relinquished his rights. That there is nothing on this Earth that will make that man come back to me or his daughter. He doesn’t want us Momma but Eric does.”

“He only wants you because you are a novelty. You are something to do until a white woman comes along and-”

“Get out”

“El-”

“GET OUT!” She screamed as she threw the glass against the wall.

“Fine,” Madge licked her lips she turned and walked out of the house.

Elsie leaned against the counter as her tears started to fall she wrapped her arms around herself oh how she wished Eric was here to hold her. She needed him so bad it hurt. She slid down the cabinet walls as the tears raked her body she needed her husband and she needed him now.

***

“Hold on L.T. we got you.”

Eric shook his head at the blurred images before him who had him? Where was he? The last thing he remembered was someone coming into the room where they were holding him and slicing his upper thigh it hurt so much he thought he was going to bleed to death. He hadn’t screamed though. Screaming only seemed to amuse them so he had given his name, rank and serial over and over.

“His leg is pretty torn up; we need to get him help as soon as we land.”

‘Land? Land where? Where in the hell was he?’

“Roger that. We’re thirty out”

“See if we can move faster”

***

Three days. For three days she had watched as her husband was on a twenty four hour news cycle. Elsie shook her head as Joanna and Julia appeared on another new program. They were the concerned mother and sister of Eric Reynolds, POW. They mentioned nothing about her, Elsie, or his daughters sitting at home waiting on his arrival. According to Joanna she was a single mother after his father died and Eric had joined the Army to help with the family. Ha. When Eric’s father had died Eric had been in his teens and had left trust funds for his children and his wife. The Reynolds had never been in desire straights. Not the way Joanna had made it sound.