~Raiden~
“You nervous?” Weston speaks somewhere to the left of me.
I’ve been rubbing my hands together for the last ten minutes as the plane started making its descent from the sky.
“Ah, I don’t know. Kind of?”
I look over at him, feeling honestly like a little bitch.
His deep laughter fills my ears. “Dude, you got this.”
I look back down at my lap, my throat slightly parched.
“Yeah, I just can’t wait to see her.”
He leans into me. “Happy for you, brother.” He claps me on the back.
I take a minute to get ahold of myself. We’ll be landing in a few and I need to pull it together.
Elli, sweet girl.
This whole past week had been some sort of fresh hell.
The need to come home only adding to my anxiety level. I don’t know how I would have made it another month and a half over there being away from her.
The plane’s wheels touch down, my body rocking at the slight impact, my head whips up and to the side to see Weston smirking at me, knowing I might possibly be meeting my future in a few minutes.
The whole platoon stands up in unison, brothers in arms, ready to see their families. I swallow my nervousness and move forward, Weston right behind me.
The air hits me and I feel home. The sweet smell of eucalyptus trees teasing my already tightly strung senses. The slight breeze blowing through my now longer than regulation hair. We file out of the plane and onto the tarmac. The sun kisses my skin, a completely different feeling than feeling the sun in Iraq.
I’m home.
There is no place on earth like California.
We stay in formation to be saluted by the higher ups and then we break apart, little kids running to their parents, their significant others in tears at their arrival, safe. Deployments are hard on them, no doubt about that and it warms my heart knowing that my brothers can be home and with their person.
Which really only serves to ramp up my excitement to see my person.
I walk toward the gate where I asked Elli to meet me, my heart starting to race.
As I near our spot my heart completely stops, my mouth going bone dry.
She’s standing there in black skinny jeans, a purple top, her hair curly and flowing around her shoulders like soft silk. She has her hands in front of her, and it looks like she’s rubbing them together nervously, identical to me only moments ago.
She looks up.
She sees me standing there barely a yard away, staring at her beauty.
Her hands drop away and she takes a cautious step toward me.
So I take one too.
Then, as if throwing whatever caution there was to the wind, she runs toward me, slamming into me with enough force to knock me back, her toned arms going around my neck.
I drop my duffel, picking her up and crushing her to me, burying my face in her neck, breathing her in.
She smells of lilies, just like the ones in my mama’s garden.
A feeling of being absolutely complete takes me over and I whisper, “Elli,” my voice rasping with emotion.
I feel her start to shake, and I lean back slightly so I can see her beautiful face.
She has tears dripping from her eyelashes falling onto her sun-kissed cheeks.
I set her down and use the pads of my thumbs to wipe them away, ever so gently, feeling like a giant brute with my hands on this tiny pixie of a woman.
“Don’t cry, beautiful.”
She looks up at me, tearing my soul in shreds seeing those tears in her eyes.
She breathes out a soft “Raid” and buries her face in my chest, overcome with emotion.
My arms go to wrap around her, already feeling that this is where she belongs, in my arms, with me.
I kiss the top of her head and hold her there, happy to do so forever if she would let me. I don’t think I have ever in my life felt the way like I do with Elli in my arms.
Like I would do anything and everything to protect her, to make her happy, keep her smiling.
I let my lips linger on her hair.
How have I gone this long not feeling a fraction of the emotion I feel for this woman?
Weston coughs once behind me, breaking the spell we’re wrapped in.
Eli leans back and we both turn, she wipes her eyes and I tuck her into my side, a protective arm around her.
“So this is her, huh?” he inquires, smiling. “I’m Weston, your boy here’s best friend.”
Elli clears her throat and steps toward him, surprising both of us when she goes up on her tiptoes to give him a tight hug.
“Thank you for your service, Weston.”
He clears his own throat, looking at me from over her shoulder, surprised as hell, and pats her back gently.
“Of course.”
She steps back and stands between us, my girl and my best friend.
“Well,” stepping back, “you two probably want some time alone, I’m gonna head home to my bachelor pad.” I laugh, knowing just how much of a bachelor he really is.
At that, Weston turns, giving me a nod and walking away.
Elli turns toward, me, seemingly shy but radiating energy.
“I’m so glad you’re here, Raiden.”
I exhale, my heart so full, my soul feeling so free.
“I’m glad too sweet girl.”
She steps closer once more to give me another hug, her arms going around my waist. “What do you want to do now that you’re back stateside?” she asks, her ear over my heart.
I laugh. “I could really go for some In-N-Out, a burger sounds like heaven.” She lets out a loud laugh, the sound tinkling in my ears, sending me soaring.
“Come on then. Let’s get out of here.”
She smiles up at me and I grab her hand, lacing our fingers together.
I’m home.