Chapter Three

25 years old

THE LAST YEAR HAS BEEN AMAZING. Alana read every single letter I wrote her when I was deployed and answered them all. She hand delivered them one at a time and made me promise that I wouldn’t read them in front of her. The same promise I had her make me. So, for every letter I got one and we learned a lot about one another through them.

We were both only children and had to learn to work hard. The circumstances were very different, but we both had the same upbringing none-the-less. Alana did every activity that could be done in high school. She was a cheerleader, played tennis, was on the debate team, and volunteered. That was on top of helping her mom at home and then doing her school work. The more that I learn about her, the harder I fall.

During the last twelve months, we’ve spent as much time together as we could. Between her job at the local store and my training, we didn’t get a whole lot of time, but what time we were available was strictly ours. Even if we just went back to the field of wild flowers and sat on a blanket so we could talk. If we did manage to do something, we went out to eat, went to the fair again, went driving to the surrounding towns to look around, and we went to the movies with Jeremy and whatever girl he was trying to get to sleep with him at the time.

Alana has such a great sense of humor and I could listen to her talk forever. When I’m not with her, I miss her like crazy. So, I arranged a night out that was just us. Jeremy helped me set it up and I was honestly surprised with the outcome of the preparations. I told him my ideas and Jeremy said to leave it up to him. He’d take care of everything so that all I had to worry about was getting my girl there.

On the night of our date, Alana picked me up at the base and I told her to go to the wild flower field. When we walked to the same spot we danced, I couldn’t believe my eyes. There was a blanket laid out with a picnic basket in the corner. Next to the basket sat a bucket filled with ice and chilled wine since Alana didn’t like Champagne. A portable radio sat there playing the local country station since that’s what my girl liked. And to finish the look off, Jeremy had a bunch of lanterns holding lit candles.

“This is amazing,” Alana says, taking my hand and leading me over to the blanket. “You did all this for me?”

“I had some help. Tonight’s a special night babe,” I say, sitting down and pulling her in my lap. “We’ve been together for a few years now. You have stuck by me when I had to cancel plans, went away with no word for whatever amount of time, and are willin’ to put up with my shit. Alana Miller, I love you more than anythin’ else in this world. Will you make me the luckiest man in the world by becomin’ my wife?”

Alana has tears streaming down her face as she looks around at all the small details surrounding us. It’s as if she’s memorizing the night so that she can carry it with her wherever she goes. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing considering that she still has to answer me.

“Of course, I’ll marry you. I love you Gerald Johnson,” she says, turning herself around so that she can wrap her legs around my waist as I grab her hand and slide the diamond on her finger. “I don’t want to wait. But, I don’t want to get married at some cheesy little place either.”

“I’m game with whatever you want to do. You plan what you want and I’ll make it happen,” I tell her, meaning every word. Her dream wedding is going to happen one way or another.

“I only need to find a dress, let mom know, and see about where we can get married. The only people I want there are Jeremy, Gertie, my mom, and us. We don’t need to have a big affair,” she says, adamant that she wants something small and inexpensive as fuck.

“Don’t worry about money baby girl. I got more than enough to make sure the day is everythin’ you want,” I tell her, wanting her to know that I can take care of us.

“It’s not about the money, Gerald. I want to marry you now and the only way that’s going to happen is if we have a small wedding with just us and a few people there,” Alana answers, kissing me again before making her way over to the picnic basket to see what food is in there.

“If that’s what you want, then that’s what we’ll have,” I tell her, sliding up next to her as we each grab the sandwiches and snacks Jeremy packed for us.

“Well, who knows when you’ll get deployed again. I want to be married before that happens,” she answers, getting the root of the matter.

We spend the rest of our time together wrapped in one another’s arms. Alana talks about what she wants our wedding to look like and I just listen to her ramble on. The only detail she won’t talk about is her dress. Trust me, I tried to get that sacred information out of her and nothing worked. Even when I tickled the hell out of her. I swear Alana was about to pee her pants, but she still wouldn’t talk. So, I know that I’ll have to wait until the day that she becomes my wife to learn that detail. I don’t care though.

It’s been two weeks since I asked Alana to marry me. When I’m not at base and she’s not working, we’ve spent all our time planning the wedding. There’s a few more people that have been added to the guest list. Alana invited a few friends from work and where she still volunteers while I asked some guys from base to attend. Other than that, no one else will be with us on our special day.

But, it’s time to make my way out to the minister that’s going to marry us with Jeremy at my side. I watch as Gertie makes her way down the aisle, giving Jeremy a funny look as she makes her way to the spot next to where my soon-to-be wife will stand. It’s a look that says something happened between them. I know that they fucked years ago, but Jeremy doesn’t have seconds from anyone that he’s with. Gertie’s look lets me know that he broke his own rule this time. Huh.

We chose to get married at Alana’s house. She has a big backyard with plenty of room for the few people that we invited. There’s an arbor that Jeremy had made in the center of the yard surrounded by sunflowers on each side. Alana loves them and I know that she had a hand in picking them out. There’s folding chairs covered in red fabric and tied with white ribbons. A red and white runner lays between the sets of folding chairs with two silver hearts entwined at each end. It’s simple but amazing because it’s what my girl wants. There’s a few tables set up off to the side where the food will be held. Our cake is already out on one table under a canopy so the hot sun doesn’t melt it before we’re ready to eat it.

Finally, my attention turns to my girl as she makes her way slowly down the aisle toward me. She’s wearing a simple summer dress in white. It’s got spaghetti straps and butterflies on the top of the dress. The bottom falls to just above her knee and I see that she’s wearing a pair of white flip-flops. Her attire is simple and fits her completely. Alana hates big, poufy things and I knew that her mom wasn’t going to win the never-ending argument about a wedding dress. Alana’s hair falls in soft curls down her back and she’s barely wearing any make-up. She doesn’t need to with her sun-kissed skin.

The minister goes through his normal wedding speech before asking us to say our vows. Alana wanted to say our own, so I tried to think of something to say that will show her how much I love her and words that will do her justice. There just wasn’t enough time to figure out exactly what I wanted to say to her though. So, I’m winging it.

“Alana, you captured my attention in one split second. Jeremy throwin’ that football where you and Gertie were layin’ on the beach became the second-best day of my life. Today is the best day. I knew that you were destined for great things, no matter what you did. Now, you’re tyin’ yourself to me and I’ll do whatever I can to make sure that you’re happy and loved for the rest of our days,” I say, knowing the words are from my heart, but they’re nowhere near good enough for my wife.

“Gerald, I knew the second I laid eyes on you that you were going to change my life. It feels like I’ve waited an eternity for you to find me. Now, I’m lucky enough to spend the rest of my days with you. We’re going to spend time apart when you leave on deployment. I will remain ever faithful to you, wait for you, and be the strength you need when the demons of what you’ve faced come knocking at your door. We’ll have a family. One as big as you want. I’ll love you forever,” Alana says, making my eyes mist as I let the words she’s said to me sink in and grab hold of my heart.

We stare into one another’s eyes as the minister finishes the ceremony. Honestly, I don’t hear a damn word of what he’s saying. I’m only concentrating on the gorgeous girl that I get to call mine for the rest of our lives. She’s the only thing in my world that can hold my focus and I don’t see anyone else around us. Not until I get nudged from Jeremy when the minister says I can kiss my girl. I didn’t even hear him say it.

I pull Alana close and capture her lips with mine. In the back of my mind, I remind myself that her mother is here and there will be plenty of time to ravish her later on. She wraps her arms around me and I feel her press her lithe body as close to me as she can get. It’s almost indecent, but she doesn’t care about who’s watching, so why should I? We finally stop when everyone starts whistling and clapping. It’s a jarring reminder that we’re not alone and surrounded by a few people that we chose to invite to our day.

We walk away from the arbor and make our way over to the tables where food is being set out by the waiters Alana’s mom hired for today. I pull a chair out for her at one of the tables that was set up during the short ceremony. They’ve pulled the chairs over for us all to sit in. Everyone else surrounds us as we wait for the food to be delivered to our tables. Even if Alana didn’t want to have a big, fancy affair, her mom insisted that our food would be catered and a DJ would be playing music. Alana conceded the point and let her mom have that.

“Are you happy?” Alana asks suddenly, leaning over toward me so that no one else can hear us.

“I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. Why are you askin’? Are you havin’ second thoughts?” I ask her, worried that she now realizes that she made a mistake by marrying me.

“Never!” she says, gasping in shock at my questions. “I was just asking because I want to make sure this is what you want.”

“I would marry you every day if I could. My only concern is that you will get tired of me bein’ gone when I have a deployment. Or when I come home and I’m withdrawn,” I tell her, knowing that it’s going to be harder than either one of us can even begin to imagine.

“We’ll get through it and it will make us stronger in the end. Don’t worry about me being there for you when you get home. We’ll go to counselling or whatever else we have to do,” she answers, leaning up for a kiss as Jeremy begins to tap his knife against the glass.

The rest of the day goes by in a blur. We dance, talk, laugh, and enjoy the time we spend with those surrounding us. Jeremy and Gertie continue to look at one another from across the yard. When it comes to them dancing next to us, Gertie storms away and spends the rest of the night in Alana’s mom’s house. She refuses to come out, but she wants to be there for the wedding. It makes no sense to me, but what do I know about things when it comes to girls?

Finally, Alana and I can leave. We’re going to spend the night in a hotel not far from here. Mrs. Miller is going to pay for us to be there for the night. It’s a generous gift and one that I’m thankful for. I’d been wracking my brain trying to figure out where we were going to stay because I live on base and Alana lives with her mom. It’s not an ideal situation, but I have to follow the rules and file the necessary paperwork before she can move in with me. It’s ridiculous, but I understand where they’re coming from. You never can be too careful when it comes to the safety of a base and the service men and women that reside there.

Alana drives us to the hotel and we check in before making our way up to the room that her mom reserved for us. Walking in the door once we’re there, I’m amazed at the opulence of the room. She reserved the honeymoon suite for us. As soon as you walk in, you come to a living room type area. There’s a TV, a couch and love seat, tables, and a bottle of wine chilling in front of a fireplace. Through the open sliding doors there’s a king size bed with rose petals covering it. A second fireplace is in the room that’s already lit and roaring. The bathroom has a garden tub with a large shower in the room. I’ve never seen a room so large and as amazing as this is. It’s the perfect place to spend our night together.

My wife pulls me into the bedroom and begins to strip out of her dress. I watch as she reveals each new piece of sun kissed flesh to me. Slowly, I see a lace bra come into view. It’s white and barely covers her ample chest. Next, her flat stomach begins to come into view and my mouth is watering at all the things I want to do to her body. As Alana’s dress falls even lower, I see the scrap of white lace that’s covering her pussy. Honestly, she may as well not even be wearing any panties at all; that’s how little is covered. I can already see that my girl is wet as it glistens on her thighs when she lifts her legs to step out of the dress that she let fall to the floor.

“You look good enough to eat,” I tell her, starting to undo the buttons on my white button-down shirt as I stalk toward her.

“Then you should come do that, husband,” she says, standing in place as she removes the white flip-flops from her feet. Challenge accepted!

As soon as I’m close enough to grab my girl, I reach out and pull her to me. She wraps her arms around my neck as my shirt hangs loose on my upper body. I toe off the boots I was wearing since I didn’t tie them to begin with. While I lean down to kiss Alana like my life depends on it. Our tongues tangle and I let her lead the kiss for a few minutes while I rip the shirt from my body. Reaching behind her, I undo the clasp holding her bra in place before pulling myself far enough away for it to fall to the floor with her dress and my shirt. Alana reaches between us and begins to take care of getting rid of the pants that separate us. As soon as I know they’ll fall down my legs, I step back, breaking the kiss that has left us both breathless.

Once I step out of my pants, I pick Alana up in my arms and carry her to the waiting bed. Placing her in the center of the bed, I make my way between her spread thighs and take a minute to admire the picture she paints right now. It’s one that I want to carry with me for the rest of my life. She looks up at me with nothing but love and trust shining from her eyes.

“I love you Alana Johnson. Always and forever,” I tell her, sliding down to my stomach between her legs as I rip the panties from her body.

“Love you always and forever, Gerald Johnson,” she responds as her chest heaves with pants of anticipation.

Slowly lowering my head, I savor the time that we’re together. Even though we have already had sex, this is the first time for us as a married couple. It seems even sweeter this time than ever before. I lick from Alana’s opening to her clit before repeating the move over and over again. The entire time, my eyes are locked on hers as I listen to the mewls and other sounds coming from her. When she starts squirming and shaking underneath me, I throw one arm over her hips to hold her in place while I move my other hand so I can insert a finger in her tight, wet opening. My mouth moves to her clit where I suck it into my mouth; gently biting down on it.

“I. Need. More,” Alana pants out, reaching down to dig her fingers into my short hair.

I slowly add a second finger and begin to thrust them in and out of her faster than I was before. Within seconds, she’s exploding and tightening around my fingers as if to keep them in her forever. Alana screams out my name as she digs her fingers into my scalp and tightens her thighs around my head to keep me exactly where I currently am. Continuing to lick her, I watch as she slowly comes back from the orgasm that just shot through her body.

Raising from between her delectable thighs, I hover over Alana until she’s looking at me. Once I have her eyes, I line my hard as fuck cock up with her opening and start to slide in her body. She arches her back and tilts her head back as I bottom out and hold my position for a minute. I’m relishing in the feeling I always get. It’s a feeling of coming home and being where I’m meant to be. A feeling of right in a world of so much wrong and bad. This time is our time to explore and go slow.

“You feel so good,” I moan out, burying my face in her neck where I kiss and suck to leave my mark on the girl that has owned me since day one.

Starting to move, I slowly slide in and out of her wet heat as her pussy clenches and squeezes my cock. I can feel her body starting to build again as she wraps her legs around me and digs her heels into my ass. Usually I let her dictate the pace when she’s getting close, but not tonight. Tonight, I want to prolong this moment as long as I can. Tomorrow reality sets back in and we have to separate as I go back to base and she goes back to her mom’s house for the night.

So, I let her dig her heels in and don’t increase my pace one bit. Slowly, I slide in and out of her in even thrusts. Reaching between us, I rub and pinch her clit because I know that it will get her where she wants to be. Alana arches and tightens her quaking body as I continue my ministrations. I don’t lose my control until I feel her body tightening around me, sucking me in and not wanting to let me go. Speeding up my movements, I swirl my hips to continue building the release that’s threatening to shatter her. The closer that I feel her get to going over the edge, the more erratic I become in my movements and pace. Alana is determined to take me over the edge with her and it’s going to happen this time.

The only sound in the room is our sweat slicked skin slamming into one another. She’s meeting me thrust for thrust as we both chase our release. I can feel the familiar tingling at the base of my spine as I swell inside her, just as she clamps down tight on my cock.

“Gerald!” she screams out as wave after wave crashes of her orgasm washes over her.

Within a few thrusts, I’m calling out her name as I empty myself inside her. We lay in a tangled heap as our breathing slowly comes back under control. I finally pull out of her to the moans we both release of the loss we feel. Picking my wife up, I carry her into the bathroom where I set her on the toilet. Starting the water, I get it to the right temperature so that I can set my girl in the jacuzzi tub. She’s going to need to relax and rest for the night I have planned.

Ma

Gerald and I got to spend one week together before he was deployed again. We were at my mom’s house finishing up the paperwork that needed to be turned in so that we could get housing on the base. It’s so hard to have to be apart every single night. But, I knew what I was signing up for when we got involved and even more so when I married the man that I will love for the rest of my life.

The few days that he had before leaving were even harder than I ever imagined. Gerald could barely talk on the phone and there was no chance of seeing him. They were busy getting everything ready and running through training exercises to prepare the best they could. I ended up taking my phone to bed with me every night because when Gerald called me, I was usually already sleeping. He hated waking me up, but I couldn’t give two shits because I knew that whatever time he could give me, I’d take.

Finally, the day arrived when they were taking off. I got to go to the base this time to see him off. When I woke up, I made sure to take time getting ready so that I looked my best for him. Not that Gerald cares what I look like. I grabbed the letter I wrote him off my stand and made the few minutes’ drive to the base. My husband met me as soon as I parked the car and pulled me out. He wrapped me up in a hug so tight, I lost my breath and couldn’t catch it until he let me go. Already my eyes were filling with tears, but I had to hold them back. Gerald needed to know that I was strong enough to handle him going away; that I could be the woman that he married that vowed to be strong enough to handle this.

“Baby girl, it’s okay. We’ll be back before you know it,” Gerald says, tipping my chin up so he’s looking me in the face when he finally pulls away from me.

“I know you will be. I’m stronger than this,” I tell him, wanting to reassure him before he gets on a plane and leaves me.

“No tears. This isn’t ‘goodbye’. It’s ‘see ya soon’,” he tells me, kissing me so softly that I barely feel his lips at first. That’s not going to work for me. I deepen the kiss and wrap my arms around his middle. Holding on to him as long as I can before I walk him over to his ‘family’ as they get ready to take off.

Our time is up too soon. Gerald picks the bag up off the ground that he dropped when he made it to my car. With his other hand, he picks up my hand and laces our fingers together. We walk over to the area that all the other family and friends are waiting in. Before he leaves, I hold out the letter I wrote to him. At the same time, he holds a letter out for me to take. We start laughing because we both had the same idea. It’s become our thing; to write letters back and forth when one of us is going away for any length of time.

“Love you forever and always,” he says, pulling me in for one last kiss.

“Love you always and forever,” I return, giving him a quick hug before letting him go do his job.

Gerald leaves me and I stand with the rest of the individuals saying goodbye to their loved ones. We all watch as they board the plane that will take them off to whatever their destination is before one-by-one we all turn and make our way to our cars. There are people crying, some sobbing hysterically, and then there’s the people like me. We’re the ones holding it in until we’re in the privacy of our car or home before we let the dam break and fall apart before picking the pieces up again.

Fortunately, I make it home and up to my room before the dam breaks. I lay down on my bed, pulling the shirt that I took from Gerald. It smells like him and I just let the smell waft over me as I let my eyes drift close. The letter he gave me is still clutched in my hand as sleep starts to claim me. But, I open my eyes, needing to know what my husband had to say to me.

My dearest wife,

I know you’re goin’ to do your best to be strong and not let me see how upset you are when I leave. But, you need to know that I know you are strong enough to handle me bein’ gone for a little while. It’s not goin’ to be forever. I will come back to you. I want you to do me a favor. When I leave, you’re goin’ to go home and cry. You don’t have to tell me this, I know that’s what you’re goin’ to do. So, cry. Get it out of your system and then build yourself back up. Don’t let this mission get you down. I promise that I’ll be fine and I’ll be home before too long.

I love you more every single day that we spend together. It doesn’t matter if the only thing I can do is call you. Hearin’ your voice lets a peace I haven’t felt in so long fill me and settle deep within. Thoughts of our future and the family that we’re goin’ to have fill my dreams and I can’t wait to spend every night with you in my arms. I’ll see ya soon!

Love Always and Forever,

Your husband

Tears continue to fall as I place the letter over my heart and close my eyes. Sleep claims me before I can get too lost in my thoughts about Gerald and what he’s going to be doing wherever they’re going.

It was two long weeks before I heard anything about my husband. The call that I got was one that I hope no one ever has to get. Some man in the military called to let me know that something had happened and Gerald, along with several of the men he was with, were on their way to a hospital. I tried to find out where he was going so that I could jump in my car and head there. It didn’t matter where my husband was, I was going to be by his side. I needed to see him with my own eyes to ensure that he really was okay. Well, as okay as he could be. The man wouldn’t even tell me what happened.

He hung up and I walked up to my room before sitting on my bed crying. I had no clue what the hell to do now. Who could I contact about the information I was desperate to find out? Should I go to the base? So many questions started running through my mind as tears continued to stream down my face. I was still crying and sitting there when my mom walked in my room.

“Honey, what’s the matter?” she asks, sitting down beside me and wrapping an arm around me to pull me into her side.

“It’s Gerald. He’s been hurt and I don’t know anything. I don’t know where they’re taking him or how bad he’s hurt. The man that called said they didn’t have all of the information just yet and he’d call back soon,” I tell her, hiccupping as I try to get my emotions under control.

“Let me make some calls. I’ve been there for Denise when her husband was injured. It will depend on a few things, but I’ll find out who to call. I’ll be right back honey,” my mom says, running from my room as I lay back down on my bed and let the thoughts run on a loop in my mind.

It doesn’t take long before I my mom is rushing back in my room. She’s got a smile on her face and I can’t imagine what there is to smile about right now. “He’s on his way here. Denise gave me the number I needed and he’s injured, but it’s not life threatening. Their convoy was hit and many of the guys were injured. The ones that can make the flight back here, with their medic on board, have already left. Other guys are going to hospitals closer to their location, but Gerald isn’t one of them. He should be here in a few hours. So, I want you to rest and I’ll take you there when I get the next call,” she tells me, sitting down next to me as I close my eyes and let the breath I’d been holding leave my lungs.

Gerald and Jeremy were both transported home. They’re in the same hospital room here and I’ve been to see them every single day for the last week and a half. Gerald had damage to his leg that required surgery and he’ll have to undergo physical therapy for a while to strengthen it back up. For now, he can’t put any weight on it. Jeremy had several injuries. The worst was to his shoulder. Not only was it dislocated, but he had shrapnel embed itself there requiring surgery for him as well. These two men are about on my last nerves. They are the worst patients I have ever seen in my entire life. But, I’m not bitching about it since I get to see Gerald as long as I want every single day.

Today, he gets to come home. Mom has cleaned out the spare room on the first floor of our home for us. She knows that there’s no way in hell I’ll be in my room while my husband is under the same roof as me. I’m not sure how it’s going to work since I don’t want to kick his leg or do anything to cause him pain while we’re sleeping in bed together. Gerald told me there was nothing I could do that was going to hurt him and that he wouldn’t sleep in a bed without me. Even if that meant dragging his sorry ass up to my room every single day. His words, not mine.

Before he can leave, he has to meet with his superiors about what’s going to happen next for him. I’m not allowed there for that meeting, so he’s going to call as soon as he’s ready. While I’m waiting, I’m putting the finishing touches on our room. The sheets and blankets are all washed and I just finish making the bed when the phone in the hallway rings.

“Hello,” I say, knowing that it’s Gerald based on the number.

“Hey baby girl. You can come get me now,” he says, no enthusiasm in his voice what-so-ever.

“Okay. I’ll be there soon,” I respond, letting him know that I’m leaving now to get him.

“Love you forever and always,” he says before hanging up on me. What the actual fuck?

I make my way to the hospital and to the room Jeremy and my husband have shared for the last few weeks. Yeah, they’ve been in here that long after the surgery. Doctors wanted to make sure that they didn’t get an infection of some sort and that there wasn’t anything that they missed as far as shrapnel or any other injuries that would surface. Plus, they both had surgery that was pretty extensive. Gerald’s therapy has sort of started even though he can’t bear any weight on his leg just yet. His therapist has been in his room working on the other parts of his body and teaching him what he can do while in bed or sitting in a chair. It’s something for now I guess.

“Don’t you ever hang up on me again,” I tell Gerald as I walk in their room.

Jeremy and him burst out laughing and I can see that some sort of tension has been relieved for a few minutes at least. “I told him you were goin’ to bust his ass for doin’ that to you,” Jeremy says, holding his stomach from laughing so hard.

“I’m sorry baby girl. I didn’t mean to hang up on you. Didn’t get good news today,” he says in way of an explanation. “Let’s get out of here so I can tell you all about it.”

A nurse walks in the room and begins to push my husband out to the waiting vehicle I left in front of the doors. We get him in my small car and she hands me his bag of things along with his discharge papers before turning and making her way back inside. Gerald sits in the passenger seat, staring out of the window as we make the short drive to my house. I don’t bother trying to talk to him, knowing that he’ll talk to me when he’s ready to. He’s got to work through the things in his head before he voices them to me.

My mom is waiting outside for us when I pull up. She’s already picked a wheel chair up from her friend Denise and she pushes it over to the passenger side of the car. After opening the door for Gerald, she steps back so that I can help my husband. He accepts the help, even if it’s the last thing he wants right now. We make our way inside through the garage so that we don’t have to worry about any steps. Mom leaves us be as I push him in our room. I step away from the wheel chair and make my way around him so I can sit on the bed.

“I don’t know what I’m goin’ to do now Alana,” he says once he sees me settled. “Jeremy and I both got discharged because of our injuries. They’re not goin’ to let us go back and fight. Not even when we get done with therapy and can prove that we’re as good as new.”

“I’m so sorry baby. What can I do?” I ask, knowing that there’s not much I can do to help him right now.

“Nothin’. I just don’t know how I’m goin’ to support us if I can’t be in the service, earnin’ a paycheck. How are we gonna buy a house and make enough money to start a family?” he says, hanging his head down so I can’t see the emotions running over his face and through his eyes.

“Baby, we’ll figure it out. The only thing I want you to worry about right now is getting through therapy. We’ll figure it all out once that’s over with and you can move around again. In the meantime, we can talk about where we want to live and what we want to do. I’m not going anywhere and I’ll be here every step of the way,” I tell him, standing up before him and pulling his head up to look at me. “Love you always and forever.”

“Forever and always,” Gerald responds, leaning up to kiss me and giving me a tender smile before asking me to help him get in bed. “We’ll figure it out baby girl.”

Helping Gerald in bed, I lay down next to him and fall asleep with my head on his chest. I listen to his heartbeat that’s strong and steady. Just like the man that I feel in love with all those years ago. Just from one glance at him, I knew Gerald would be the man that could love me with all his heart and that we’d make one another stronger from the love that we shared.