As I look at her with a world of questions whirling in my eyes, the very thing that comes to mind, are we in danger again? Do we need to get ready to head out again? Well though I do not mind being prepared to go again so soon, I would not have mind to spend time with her and just unwind. But this is not home, and there exists no such thing.
"Boo, tell me what is wrong?"
"Soldier, they are calling us back home."
"What? Why?"
"They have signed a peace treaty. They said not all of the squads are needed here anymore. There will be a few that will remain behind for at least another three weeks."
I pause for the moment to take it all in. Did I just hear her, right? "So, I guess that we are going home," I ask her, not knowing if I should be happy or relieved. I did not think we would be going home so early. "Boo, how do you feel about it?"
"Soldier, I don't think I even need to answer that."
"You know, I say let us go home. In some crooked
Isabella has not been herself cheerful self for the past few days. At first, I thought that she must be nervous to see everyone again. But then it started to become more serious, getting sick so often. Now it seems that she has been hiding something from me as well. We promised no more secrets; even if I say it is fine, it does make me slightly mad."Boo, what are you not telling me? Are you not deploying with me again?""No! No, soldier! I can't go!""What do you mean you can't go? Everything was fine; why have you changed my mind."My mom, along with Matty, tries to excuse themselves from the kitchen, "I think we will leave you kids alone. Come, Richard, I think we could do with a walk.""What makes you think I want to walk Denise."Matt drags my dad by the arm towards the door, "Dad, you just like to have a bit of good gossip to listen to. Sometimes I think you worse than that old Betty."Isabella is standing in dead silence.
I could have sworn I just fainted; a big ass man like me has dropped like a little bundle to the floor. Did I just hear right? Did I just hear that Isabella is pregnant? I think if I open my eyes, I will soon find out. But I am scared. Am I ready to be a father? Am I even the father type kind of man? I am so not prepared for this; then again, I am a soldier, I need to be ready for the most unexpected things.I feel as Isabella tugs at my shoulder, "Soldier, soldier, are you okay?"Then Dr. Roberston joins her, trying to get me out of my stupid spell of darkness. "Clayton, can you hear me?"As I slowly open my eyes and wait for it to adjust to the light, I see Isabellas staring worriedly at me. "Soldier don't give a woman a heart attack so early in the morning!"She starts shaking me furiously. I can hear the urgency in her voice as she calls out my name. "Soldier! Soldier!""Aahhh boo, I am awake; slow down on the shaking.""Don't you ever d
When I stepped off the bus this morning, I never knew and could hardly ever have imagined that I would find out that Isabella is pregnant. Now I can't say it is a complete surprise, for, well, I kind of could not keep it in my pants. This was bound to happen sooner or later, and I can honestly say that I am grateful that it did not happen at camp. Well, it sort of did, but at least she is not pregnant and deploying.The mere thought that I, half a broken man, am becoming a father brings another accomplishment to mind. I am still a boy, learning to be a man, but now I am going to be a man that needs to learn how to be a father. This is terrifying; I can take a mission head-on but put a little life in my arm. I am about to learn a whole new meaning to life.Now there is only one life that has become important to me, apart from Isabella's, that is. I might not be holding my child in my hands, but I know exactly what Harrison means. Yes, Isabella cannot deploy anymor
We have not even been back home for a day and things are already running a riot. Isabella is pregnant, and I am going to become a father. That is wonderful news for all around, but we had to make the decision as to where Isabella is going to stay. I am deploying in a little less than a week again, and I need to know that wherever she is going to be, she will be safe. So we have decided that she shall stay in Pendleton and we will raise our child there. We are making the decision on what is best for the baby. Yes, I know that my family, most of all my mom, is going to be disappointed."I think everyone needs to go sit down for this one," I playfully laugh to ease the seriousness of the situation."Son, she is already pregnant; what else have you done?" My father asks, "With him, anything is possible." Matt adds."Matty, you better run.""What are you going to do, soldier boy?"I catch up to Matty that is walking ahead of my mom, and give him one sla
I have just shattered my mom's heart, and I fear this time it is beyond repair. It is not that we planned for this on purpose; it is just what is best for our son. Yes, I am being rather ambitious, but I do believe that this is a boy. Yesterday my biggest worry was what would happen if we get back to base camp. Today my only worry is for the future of my child. I just hope that everyone shall see it that way.Now my dad has come up with an idea, and to say that I am not curious would be a lie. But we all know that my father and his plans never end up well. That is why I am even too scared to ask, and to make things worse; he is going to have to run it past my mom. And right now, she is not doing well at the receiving end of any news.So I am waiting patiently for my dad to tell me what this idea is that he has, "So what is the plan?""Well, I don't know how well your mom is going to take this.""If it is going to break her heart, then I am guessing not we
A deafening silence has settled over the room as each one of us is playing it all over and over in our heads. I could have just sworn my father suggested that they sell up and follow me on over to Pendleton. Now he is either completely drunk or gone insane, for my father in all my living years has refused to step his feet out of this town, let alone leave it.If my mother was mad at my dad before this, then I have no idea from just looking at the expression on her face what she is now. I do not know if she is crying from anger or if she is, in fact, laughing in my dad's face. Her words are mumbled and coming as strangled stutters as they leave her lips.What seems like almost ten minutes have passed, she finally manages to compose herself. "Richard, this is not funny. The kids are having a baby, and they are leaving. Do not mess around like this.""Denice, I am serious; I am getting tired of Betty and all these people that cannot stay out of your face.""
They say that sometimes you do not realize the value of a moment until it becomes a memory. The day I look back at this moment, I will remember the day that my family made a sacrifice and followed me so that I can follow my dreams. To say that I am not humbled would be a lie. I have never experienced so much joy in my life as what I have experienced on this single day. The best memory by far shall be when this boy became a real man.So it seems like the Jacksons are moving to California. Well, not all of them are definitely sure. Matt seems to have some doubts about making this move with the rest of us. What I do find hard to understand is what is keeping him here. The future here in this town holds nothing for him.Seeing the confusion on his face as he struggles through this decision does pain me a bit. In a way, I do feel that I am a slight bit selfish. I am asking a man to pack up a life he feels comfortable with. I will not push him even further; this is a decisio
I believe that life is made up of a series of moments; these moments are what define who you are now and what you shall become. Today I have closed the door to everything in my past, the heartaches, and failures. I am opening a new door to my future, my future with Isabella. I am ready to begin the next chapter of my life.It is like I have just woken up, and I am in a place where everything just feels right. My heart is calm, and my soul is lit. My thoughts are calm, and my vision is clear. I am satisfied with where I have been and where I am headedAnd when I look into Isabella's eyes, I can see where I am; I see my today, my tomorrow, and my future. From the very moment I met her for the first time, I knew deep down in my heart that I found someone truly special. Being in love with her is the most amazing feeling in the world.Which leads us to this moment.…AN HOUR EARLIER……Clayton POV…So this has been a whi
It is in and out of consciousness that we take the drive back to camp. My leg is hurting like a bitch, and the only thing I can focus my mind on is…not fucking again.I don't know how badly I am injured; the moment I try to lift my head, I have Harrison pushing me down again. I have Lopez applying pressure on my leg to try and stop the blood from gushing out.I feel like a mess.I am losing a lot of blood very quickly, for the dizziness is starting to set in. Then…I am out.Next time I come to, I am being carried into the nurse's tent where you have a severely understaffed medical team running to save the lives of the badly injured. The ones only in need of a view stitched or a non-serious bullet to be removed are pushed to the side.If I thought the battlefield was a complete mess, this is complete chaos. Today is a very sad day for every Marine that walks and that used to walk these grounds. Here, in this tent, there will be more li
There is a rumbling thunder that comes down with great speed onto our backs. You can hear as brick by brick come crashing to the floor, splitting into pieces. As I, the final one, get to the street, we watch as it comes down to a spectacular end. A big cloud of dust covers us and half down the street.Once most of the dust has settled, we make our way back to the Humvees."Woohoo, that was fucking close."Lopez snaps his head to my left and looks me amazed in the eyes, "You losing your mind there, Lieutenant?""Now that was a rush. If I say it is better than sex, then Isabella might just kill me."Everyone only but bursts out in laughter at me as we have once again missed another near-death experience. These three months better come quickly, for this heart cannot take this excitement anymore. And let us forget about the heart, that was fucking tough on my leg. I am going to sit in pain for at least another day or two.But there is no time to
It is yet another morning at the bus station that I have to say goodbye to my family. This time shall be the final time that I shall give my mother that near-death experience where she so wishes to slap all sanity into me.But that is not my concern; my biggest is leaving the woman behind that I shall marry and start a family with. Her eyes are filled with tears of both happiness and joy; I think that seeing me doing this the last time is what shall drive her to get through the last three months.Though getting on that bus does not make it any easier. Three months is a long time for someone that is on nothing but hostile ground.And with that, as all the times before, I watch as the five most important people in my life become nothing but little ants in the back window.The drive to Pendleton this time is filled is heartache, and the flight to camp does not even bring as much joy as I wish it to be.But I am here to fulfill what I promised myself,
It is early morning as I sit on the porch waiting for Isi to wake up.There are only two things playing on my mind this morning.I am so goddamn happy to be home, and worst of all, I need to go back and finished what I have started.It is only another three months stretch to go, and by the way that things seem, some of the boys might be coming home earlier.Now I know that she will not love the idea, but I am not deserting my country; even though I chose my wife, I still have a service that I need to fulfill. One thing Clayton Jackson is not known for is to run away and hide. I want to be that hero; I want to make that difference, and god, I will be doing it the right way.So as Miss Sleepy Heads sticks her head around the corner, I know that she has watched me while I have been having turmoiled in my head."What has your daydreaming so early in the morning, soldier?""Well…" she only but cocks her head and looks at me."
I need to stop for one moment and take a step back; what makes this all worthwhile is the beauty that lies in my arms. Should I not have had her presence in my life, I would not have had the sheer willpower to take the impossible onTo have beauty in your life is easy, but to have the beauty of the woman that you love and the one that loves you in return is the greatest gift that one can experience. I can, with all honesty, say that there is no doubt that she completes my life. To be lonely for eternity can be seen as a life sentence, but having what you crave, is the greatest blessing.I have never been more assured to have chosen her to be mine for life.She does not only live in her own body; she lives in mine too. We are part of each other; we are one. I hear her footsteps in the passageways of my heart. Her voice echoes through my veins. I can see her face in the mirrors of my memories. She has engraved herself deep into my soul. She will forever be a part
What is the greatest thing a man can experience?Having back what you have thought you have lost for good. It is true that good things happen to those who wait, but damn, did I had to wait too long"Soldier, Are you going to stop staring at my stomach?""Sorry boo, but I still cannot believe that it is real, and you are sort of kind of a bit, so I can just not miss it.""You can be glad my hands are swollen, or else I would have punched you."I am a mess right now; I happy messed up, man. Here is the woman that I love more than anything, and she is still having our baby. I have missed out on so much, I can only imagine what she must have gone through, but I don't understand.""Boo, but why did you tell me that you lost the baby.""Mark said, as I told you, that he would kill your parents if I told anyone. He had this crazy idea in his head that he could raise our child as his own.""But where did James come in?""J
I know Isabella for far too long, for one, she is wearing some rather oversized shirt, which is not mine, and one that I very doubt would be that of James. And for a second, that damn sugar rush that she is forcing into that body, that well…"Isi, is there something that you are not telling me?""Clay, I think you need to come to sit down. Can I grab you a beer or something?""Somehow, I think I am going to need something far stronger than a beer right now. I think that overprized whiskey there will just do fine."With that, I watch her move toward the cupboard; her shirt is just a slight bit over that perky ass that has become slightly perkier than before. Now, if I were not so goddamn curious, then I would have pinned her down on this very kitchen counter, but I seem to feel that we will be requiring a bed for this one.So as she comes to sit across from me and to push a glass of chilled whiskey over to me, she casually has some oddly fres
We have not been able to find Caylee, but as per news from Matty, they have found Mark. Between the three of them, they came up with a plan to wrong the people whom they believe that wrong them. Well, what one hell of a wicked plan, if you may ask me.Now the last time I have spoken to Isabella, she was still very much taken aback by the great ordeal that has happened to her.Well, today I have a surprise for her. It took a lot of string, but I finally got the big man at the top to let me step away for but a brief moment. Now nobody expects me to know, of course, for I know that my dear mother can not keep her dear old mouth any more quiet than Betty.So it is with very hesitant steps that I finally step in front of the door that I have a grave to be for too many nights now.But from inside, I only hear her grunt and curse underneath her breath, "I told you goddam people that I do not have anything else to say."With a rather loud huff and a somewh
…Matty POV…A part of me is questioning if I truly did hear the words that are coming from the direction in front of me. If there are ever the most terrifying words that one has spoken, then I a sure that this will be it. I do wish that he did not just say that, for I am more afraid of Clayton's life than mine.No, as I stare into the godawful face of James, the other man has not yet made his appearance. Well, this shall not happen today. I shall not allow to be taken and overpowered by two men that clearly think that they are playing god.Now, as I watch Isabella's face, I see the terror creep over her face as the other man starts to speak. If there is ever the most terrifying look that words can not speak then that is what is on her face. But as this man steps forward, I can see the utmost expression of joy on his godawful face."Mark," I hear her gasp as she nearly trembles over in tears. "What are you doing here?""Next time, get