After celebrating our engagement with our family and friends, we start moving our things into our new home. Mike and Holly are staying at her mom’s while she recovers, so I am happy that I’m not disturbing them as we pack our things up. They both are doing better, surrounded by family and taking it one day at a time.

Tom’s vacation ended and he had to report for duty at the base. He isn’t able to help me as he wants to, but he calls in many favors to get me the help I need to get our home ready. Before he left, we got our marriage license but decided to wait until next weekend after the auction to have a small wedding at our new home. Mason was thrilled about our engagement and the new home, but most of all he was happy that he could now call Tom his daddy.

Tom is able to come home for the auction event, and he loves the way I fixed up our house, but he is very quiet. He tells me not to worry, and I don’t push since I am so busy with final preparations for tonight.

I am busy greeting and talking to everyone, when I glance across the room to see Tom in his formal uniform, standing off to the side and observing. Something is bothering him and I have to know what it is—now.

“Hi there, handsome,” I say to him as I walk over and give him a quick kiss.

He smiles and puts his arm around me, pulling me closer to his side. “You’ve done great, babe. I think the whole town is here. Everyone is bidding on all the auction items, and guess which one is getting the most bids?”

“Okay, you don’t have to say I told you so,” I tell him. “I checked the sheets; it’s the hottest item on the block.”

“That’s because it has the hottest instructor,” he boasts.

“Cool your jets there, hotshot. You are about to be a married man next week,” I tease him back.

“Yes, I am.” He kisses me again, but his smile fades, and once again I feel that something is wrong.

“Tom, is everything okay? You’ve been very quiet.”

“I can’t talk about it right now, Liv, but we’ll talk about it later when we get home.”

“You’re scaring me. Please just tell me what’s wrong.” I look up at him as he stares down into my worried eyes.

He takes my hand and leads me outside, out of earshot of our nosey town residents.

“Liv, the commander called us all in on Thursday. I have to report back first thing Monday morning. We won’t be able to have the wedding next weekend.”

“Why not? Can’t you come home next weekend, like you did last night?”

“No, sweetheart, I can’t. We are heading overseas on a mission.”

“Well, we can postpone for a few weeks or a few months. When will they let you come home?”

“That’s just it, Liv, I don’t know. We never really know when we get sent TDY, sorry that’s temporary duty, like this. It could be days, weeks, months, even years.”

“I don’t understand, we are not at war. Why can’t you just stay at the base near here? What about the jumping school? Helping your dad with his business? All the things you wanted to do?”

“I have to protect our country, Liv. I’m so sorry, but that’s my job, at least for now. I will still do all those things when my enlistment is over.”

“Oh, God, I know. I just thought we had more time,” I cry as I’m unable to stop the tears from falling.

He pulls me to him, holding me close. “Please, don’t cry. This is why I didn’t want to tell you tonight. This is an important night for you and I didn’t want to spoil it.”

“I don’t care about this stupid auction anymore. I just want to leave right now and be with you.”

“Hey, listen, don’t say that.” He releases me and holds my face in his hands. “This is important. I’ll be home as soon as I can, and now you have more time to have the biggest wedding you ever wanted to have.”

“I don’t want a big wedding, I just want you.”

“Baby, you have me. I’ll be back.”

“Marry me tonight,” I demand.

“What?” He starts laughing.

“I’m not joking. We have the license already. Everyone is here that I would have invited anyway, including our minister Brother Matthews.

“Liv.” He continues to laugh.

“Seriously. Think about it. We have food, drinks, we have a band. The room is decorated with gorgeous fall flowers. Everyone is dressed up to the nines, including us. Think of all the money we could save,” I ramble on.

“I think I’m about to marry a crazy woman, but to hell with it. Let’s do it!”

The auction is a complete success, raising more funds for the library than I could have anticipated. Everyone there is also delighted with the surprise entertainment of witnessing Tom and I say our wedding vows. After the auction and wedding is over, Mason leaves to spend the night with his new grandparents, while Tom and I enjoy our wedding night alone.

The next day, Tom, Mason, and I spend the day as a family, enjoying each precious second until we have to send Tom off the next morning. I am brave as we kiss and say our goodbyes.

“Now, you do well in school, okay? Keep your grades up, and when I get home, we can go back up in the glider.” Tom kneels to face a very sad Mason.

“Okay, Daddy, I promise,” Mason says as he hugs him.

“Love you, buddy. I’ll be home before you know it.”

“I love you, too, Daddy.”

Tom stands back up and faces me. “And you, Mrs. Sullivan, you and I have a date to go skydiving again as soon as I get back.”

“I know. I can’t wait.” I grin.

“I can’t believe you outbid everyone at the auction. You know I would have taken you for free. It’s one of the perks of being my wife.” He wraps his arms around my waist, one last time for now.

“Well, let’s just put it this way … if anyone is going to be that close to your sexy body, it’s going to be me. Understand, flyboy?”

“Yes, ma’am.” He releases me and stands at attention, giving me a salute before pulling me back into his arms and kissing me more passionately than any man has ever kissed a woman.