Chapter Seven
Heath sat in his car and drummed his fingers against the wheel. He kept shooting furtive glances at the large three story home nestled in the historic district of Savannah. This area resembled something from another time and place. It was elegant and stately.
“Aren’t we going in?” Micah asked, his voice full of impatience.
Heath let out a deeply held breath. “Gimme a few minutes.”
“You said that a few minutes ago. Matter of fact, you’ve been saying that for the last half hour straight. At this point they probably know you’re out here.”
He could feel the heat of Micah’s stare. “What gives, Heath? Why aren’t we inside?”
He met his brother’s curious gaze. “I don’t know. I just want to make sure I’m ready to see them. They probably have a lot of questions for me.”
He felt Micah’s hand on his shoulder. “I know it won’t be easy, but I’m sure seeing you will be a way of reaching out and touching their son. I’m guessing they just want to spend time with you, not grill you.”
Micah was right. Vinny’s family were wonderful people. Maybe he was really afraid to relive the past. He’d come so far in the last few months. He couldn’t afford any setbacks.
“I’m here with you, Heath. I promise you, you’re good. It’s all going to be okay.” Micah’s voice was soothing and solid.
Heath nodded. “Let’s do this.” He unbuckled his seat belt and vaulted from the car before he could change his mind. He didn’t know why his limbs seemed shaky. He loved the Peretti family almost as much as he loved his own.
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” he murmured, reciting his favorite verse from Philippians.
Micah joined him on the sidewalk and they proceeded to walk to up the steps to 11 Oglethorpe Street. As they stood on the porch, Heath took a moment to sink it all in. All the previous times he had visited Vinny’s home it had been at joyful times. Easter. New Year’s Eve. Today’s visit was decidedly different. He couldn’t imagine how much of a void existed in this household due to Vinny’s absence.
Heath reached out and rang the bell, his heart pounding like thunder as he shifted from one foot to another. Moments later the door swung open. Viola Peretti, Vinny’s mother, stood at the door with her arms outstretched. With her salt and pepper colored hair and warm grey eyes, Viola was a striking woman. Heath stepped into the house and into her arms. Before he knew it, the rest of the Peretti family was standing there, warmly greeting him. Tony, Vinny’s dad, embraced him in a bear hug that made Heath feel as if he might get crushed. At over six feet and two hundred and fifty pounds, Tony was a large man with a robust laugh and a zest for life. Vinny’s siblings were standing around, everyone greeting him warmly as if he was a member of their brood.
“Hey, everyone, this is my brother, Micah. He kept me company on the ride from Pelican Bay,” Heath said. He smirked as Vinny’s sisters looked admiringly at Micah. There were three of them in all. Missy. Tish. Stacia. Vinny had been the only son.
“Hello,” Micah said, smiling as he swung his gaze around at all the people he’d never met before. Micah always turned on the charm no matter what situation he found himself in. It was learned behavior from childhood. Once upon a time Micah had suffered from debilitating shyness. He had finally managed to conquer it by projecting an image of the comical, magnetic Micah Donahue. What most people didn’t know was that he still suffered from anxiety. It constantly amazed Heath that he was able to work successfully as a male model since it entailed lots of travel, working on photo shoots and dealing with stressful situations.
“We’re so happy to have the two of you here,” Viola said with a huge grin.
Viola ushered both him and Micah into the large living room, where everyone proceeded to sit down and get comfortable. Missy, Vinny’s youngest sister, brought in a tray with a pitcher of iced tea and glasses. She sat it down on the coffee table and began to pour the iced tea for Heath and Micah.
“Thanks, Missy,” Heath said, taking a huge gulp of the sweet tea. “I can’t believe how grown up you look.”
Missy, who couldn’t be more than sixteen, beamed at him. “Thanks, Heath.”
“How was the drive to Savannah?” Tony asked, his brown eyes twinkling.
“It was great,” Heath said. “We didn’t have much traffic to deal with and we took turns at the wheel.”
“We almost stopped off at Tybee Island,” Micah said in a teasing voice. “I’ve never been and I’ve heard there’s a great inn there right by the beach.”
“Savannah House,” Viola said with a nod. “It’s a wonderful establishment run by six beautiful and accomplished women.”
“We have a little connection to Savannah House,” Heath explained. “The story is complicated, but our cousin Mac who lives in Cape Cod was reunited a few years ago with his biological sister. She happens to be Callie Duvall Holden.”
“What a small world,” Viola remarked, shaking her head. “She’s a lovely woman. And her husband Jax adores her. Oh to be young again.”
After a short period of catching up, Heath broached the subject of his best friend. “I just want you all to know how much I miss Vinny. He was my closest friend. I can’t tell you how many times he saved me in Afghanistan. Without him I’m not sure I would have made it back home.” Heath winced. “And even saying that out loud makes me feel guilty since Vinny isn’t here with us.”
“Oh Heath, we were devastated by Vinny’s death, but we believe he’s still with us,” Viola said, her voice cracking with emotion. She motioned around the room with her hands. “He’s everywhere. I see him in the sunrise out of my bedroom window. I feel him in the kitchen every time I make meatballs.”
“When I walk on River Street down by the water I feel Vinny walking beside me,” Tony said. “He’s firmly entrenched in our hearts and minds…and our memories.”
Heath nodded. He felt the same in so many ways. Vinny had been such a dominant presence in life. His spirit still lingered in the hearts and minds of those who had loved him. “I know what you’re talking about. Whenever I go to the beach I feel as if Vinny is there. It’s powerful. He loved the ocean. When we were overseas he kept telling me how much he wanted to walk the beach when he came back home.”
“It’s been difficult dealing with the loss,” Viola said as she brushed moisture away from her cheeks. “But we’re healing as a family. We try to hold on to the love we shared with Vinny when he was alive. Don’t get me wrong. We’ve struggled with so many emotions. Anger. Confusion. Overwhelming grief. But as those emotions began to subside, we just wanted to be thankful for having him for as long as we did. We were so incredibly blessed to be his family.”
Viola’s words were heartfelt and powerful. Her strength in the face of tragedy was awe-inspiring. “He felt blessed to be a member of the Peretti family. Vinny talked about all of you non-stop. He used to love telling stories about growing up in this household.” Heath chuckled as memories of Vinny’s stories washed over him. All of the tales had been full of love and faith and heart. Well before Heath had met Vinny’s family, he had known instinctively that they were wonderful people. Much like Vinny himself. The best of the best. It was one of the reasons Heath had been so devastated by his friend’s death. A person like Vinny wouldn’t come this way again.
A silence descended up on the room. It was as if every single one of them was thinking about Heath and what he’d brought into their world. Gratitude hung in the air.
“Mama’s right when she said we’re healing, but we would like to know what happened.” Tish, Vinny’s twin sister spoke up. She darted a nervous glance around her as if she wasn’t sure she should have piped up. Stacia, the middle sister, put her arm around Tish in a comforting gesture.
Tony nodded in agreement. “We do have questions, Heath. Ones we haven’t been given answers for as of yet. We understand things take some time with the military, but we would love to have closure if that’s possible.” Mr. Peretti was no longer smiling. His features radiated tension. Tony didn’t need to explain himself. The past year must have been excruciatingly painful. Vinny had clearly been the center of their world.
“I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner and help you answer those questions,” Heath said. He wanted to be totally honest with Vinny’s family about his own struggles. “When I came home from Afghanistan I was struggling with a lot of issues. I have PTSD and I’m working to overcome it. Witnessing Vinny’s death was devastating for me. I felt guilty about that since he gave up his life for mine, so I tried to stuff it down. It didn’t work out very well.” Heath shuddered. “I know it might be hard to hear, but I want to tell you everything I remember about his death.”
Viola reached out and clasped Heath’s hands in her own. “Take your time, Heath. Go at your own pace, son. I know it’s painful for you to relive this.”
Heath nodded. Finally, he felt strong enough to talk about it in-depth with the people who had mattered the most to Vinny. “Eight months ago this would have been impossible. But I’m stronger now. There were things I buried, but I’ve spent the last few months figuring things out. I remember everything. And I want to share it with you. All of it.”
*
Afghanistan
One year earlier
Heath looked up at the sky and let out a sigh. It was a beautiful day with nary a cloud in sight. The sky was the color of a robin’s egg. Even in a war zone like Afghanistan, beauty could still be found. It never failed to amaze him. Lately he had been feeling such strong waves of homesickness. Although he was committed to the objectives of his country, he longed for home.
Thankfully, he had just finished skyping with Bella. Although the connection hadn’t been the best, it had been a blessing to see her beautiful face staring back at him. And hearing her voice had been a Godsend. It made him all the more eager to get back home to her and his life in Pelican Bay. He couldn’t wait for their future to unfold. Heath had every intention of buying her a wedding ring and asking her to marry him.
Corporal Vinny Peretti, his best friend and the finest soldier he’d ever know, walked up to him from the barracks. “You ready to go on patrol so we can come back for the barbecue? Italian is the best food in the world, but barbecue is a close second,” Vinny said. With his red hair and intense green eyes, Vinny didn’t look Italian at all in Heath’s opinion. But, Vinny was the proudest Italian he’d ever met in his life. Vinny was a walking fountain of information about Italy and the things that made it the greatest nation other than the good old USA.
“You had me at barbecue. Let’s get this over and done with so we can join the festivities,” Heath said. “We’re saying goodbye to a few buddies today.” It was always a bittersweet feeling when they said farewell to their fellow soldiers who were heading back home. Although he was happy for them, it was hard to not feel envious.
Heath’s mouth watered at the thought of eating barbecue. It reminded him of home. These days he was holding on to anything that reminded him of Pelican Bay and the ones he loved with all of his heart. Although it was his supreme honor to protect and serve America, he wanted to be back stateside.
As Vinny drove toward the perimeter of the base, they came across a gate that needed to opened. Vinny turned toward Heath. “Get the gate, will you?”
Heath sucked his teeth and rolled his eyes at Vinny. “I’m getting pretty tired of being the gate opener,” Heath said with a chuckle. “One of these days I want to be the driver.”
“Dream on, Donahue,” Vinny said. “Remember that time you drove me back home to Savannah from Pelican Bay? I don’t recall ever being so scared in my life.”
Heath chuckled. “You’re delusional. I’m so good I could drive for Nascar.”
The sound of Vinny’s laughter filled the air. “Ha Ha. You’ve got jokes, Donahue. Jokes for days.”
Heath jumped out of the Humvee and walked toward the gate. Things were quiet this afternoon due to the barbecue. Doing patrol was still imperative. There really was never a dull moment here in Afghanistan. When you put your guard down, danger always presented itself. None of them ever forgot they were in a war zone. To do so would be deadly.
Suddenly, Heath spotted a figure in his peripheral vision. He turned his head and saw a figured dressed in light brown apparel running away in the opposite direction just as something landed nearby with a thud and a whizzing sound.
Heath’s heart began to pound like crazy. The person fleeing had thrown a live grenade on the ground. He froze.
“No, Heath,” Vinny screamed. “Get down. Stay back.” There was a blur of motion as Vinny ran in Heath’s direction and seemed to fly in the air, landing with a thud on the ground.
“No!” Heath cried out, just as he figured out what his best friend was doing. The explosion rent the air with a horrific sound. The blast threw Heath backwards and he raised his arms up in front of his face as a protective gesture. A burning sensation tore across his exposed skin. He let out a wild cry of pain. Fighting against the burning sensation in his hands, he scrambled on his hands and knees, looking around desperately for Vinny. He had to get to him. He had to help his best friend. Bile rose up in his throat as he came across remnants of him. Bone. Flesh. It was too horrific for his mind to process. Vinny had sacrificed himself for Heath.
He saw something gold glinting in the rubble. It was Vinny’s cross necklace—his most treasured possession. Heath reached for it, managing to grab ahold of it as searing pain shot up his arms.
Suddenly, everything went black. Just before he passed out, Heath knew he needed to return the gold cross to Vinny’s family.
*
A hushed silence filled the Peretti’s living room as Heath finished his story. He felt Micah’s arm around his shoulder, providing support. When he looked around him, there wasn’t a dry eye in the group.
“Thank you, Heath,” Viola said in a raspy, emotion-filled voice. “They kept telling us he was a hero and that they are awarding him the Medal of Honor, but the details were scant.”
Tony heaved a tremendous sigh. “Vinny was the quintessential soldier. For honor and country. And friendship. He loved you, Heath. You were like a brother to him.”
Heath blinked back tears. “And he was like a brother to me as well. He gave his life for mine. I still can’t wrap my head around it. No one is more deserving of the Medal of Honor than Vinny. His career was all about countless acts of sacrifice.”
“You’re right,” Missy said, lips quivering with emotion. “He always said being a soldier was an honor and a privilege and that he was over in Afghanistan to save lives. And that’s just what he did.”
Heath nodded. He began to dig around in his shirt pocket. Viola let out a gasp as he pulled out Vinny’s gold cross necklace.
“I’ve been meaning to give this to you, but I wanted to do it in person.” Heath quirked his mouth. “I think a part of me wanted to hold onto it for a little while, but it truly belongs with all of you. I never saw Vinny without it. It was his constant companion.”
Heath reached over and handed it to Vinny’s mother. She took it and pressed it to her lips. Although the necklace had been battered and bruised and dented, it was a miracle it was still in one piece.
“Oh, Heath. This means the world to me,” Viola gushed. She raised the necklace to her lips and kissed it. “I feel like you’ve given me a piece of my son back.”
Heath leaned over and embraced Mrs. Peretti. They didn’t let go for a long time. For Heath it felt as if Vinny’s presence loomed large in this room, in this house, with the ones he’d loved more than anything. Being in their midst made Heath feel as if he was a member of the Peretti family.
After sitting down for a meal with the family and sharing stories about Vinny, Heath and Micah said their emotional, tearful goodbyes. Heath promised to come back soon—and he meant it. This family was forever etched on his heartstrings.
Once they were outside, Micah turned to him and said, “You did good, Heath. What you just gave to Vinny’s family is priceless.”
“I gave back a small portion of what Vinny gave me,” Heath said, his chest tightening with emotion. Grief was the hardest road to walk down. It had peaks and valleys. In some instances, it hit you like a tsunami.
“I’m grateful he was there for you,” Micah said, clapping Heath on the shoulder. “I don’t want to imagine life without you.”
Heath stopped in his tracks. “I think that might be the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me. I take it all back about Mom dropping you on your head when you were a baby.”
Micah rolled his eyes. “Give me the keys. I’ll drive.”
“Are you going soft on me, Micah?” Heath asked.
Micah locked eyes with him. “I’m sorry if I didn’t fully understand everything until today. No wonder you’ve been struggling. What you witnessed with Vinny was horrific. I’m glad it’s all coming to the surface though. The best way of dealing with it is to acknowledge it.”
“Thanks for coming with me. It really made all the difference having you there,” Heath confessed. Micah had been a steadying presence during their visit with the Peretti family.
“Anytime. That’s what siblings are for, right?” Micah asked with a wink.
“You’re absolutely right,” Heath responded, reaching out to clasp hands with his brother. At this moment he felt thankful for so many things. Healing. The power of friendship. Love. Family. And above all else, faith.