Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 74256 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 297(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74256 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 297(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
“Who said anything about getting laid?” I ask, arching a single eyebrow at the man beside me.
He flashes me a slightly smug, yet friendly grin. “I recognize the look of happiness,” he states, adjusting the weights behind us.
Clearing my throat, I look away so he can’t see my truth. The fact is I am happy. Happy with her here, and the thought of her leaving in a little over a week makes my stomach churn with uneasiness. She’s barely been here five days, and I’m already hooked. Despite the fact he’s a little off base with his “getting laid” assumption, he’s spot-on when it comes to how I feel about Faith.
“Hey, thanks again for referring us to Hannah. Her appointment is this morning,” I state, referring to his wife, who is going to treat Faith to a manicure and pedicure.
“Hannah’s excited to meet her. She’s slowly making friends here, thanks to working at the salon, but it can be hard when you know absolutely no one,” Erik replies, getting into position on the bench.
I think about Faith and what it would be like if she were here. She has such an amazingly fun and energetic personality, I can see her making friends easily. From what I’ve heard and seen, kids love her, and I know she’ll be an exceptional, caring kindergarten teacher when the opportunity arises.
“If you guys don’t have anything planned Friday night, we can do that dinner we discussed,” Erik says between reps of ten.
“I had mentioned it to Faith and she seemed up for it. I’ll make sure Friday night is good with her, but I don’t think we have any other plans,” I reply, already thinking about taking her to dinner. I can’t wait to hear how all her pampering appointments went today.
Realizing the time, I run through our checklist of stuff to do today. First, we have our team workout, followed by a five-mile run. Running doesn’t usually bother me, but I’m not used to this desert dry heat yet, so I tend to dread them a little more than I used to. After the run, we’ll shower and hit the mess hall before our training exercises this afternoon. It’ll be a long, grueling day, but worth it. Not that I anticipate being called out anytime soon, but I suppose you never know. We’re supposed to be here for two years, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned during my time in the Army, it’s to expect the unexpected.
“Just let me know after you talk to her tonight. If it won’t work, that’s okay. Don’t feel obligated. I know she’s only here for a short time, so if you don’t want to share her with us, I get it. I did the same thing whenever Hannah would come for a visit.”
“How’d that go for you guys?” I ask, genuinely interested.
“We started dating in high school. She went to a cosmetology school in Indiana, while I enlisted. I didn’t know how it would work out, being apart like we were, but we were both committed. We talked on the phone or video chatted whenever we could and were always counting down the days until we’d see each other in person again.”
His smile is far off as he looks over my shoulder. “The visits were great, but torture at the same time because I knew there was always a looming deadline. Saying goodbye sucked, and a few times, I thought about breaking it off with her. Not because I didn’t love her or miss her like crazy, but because I felt like she was missing something in life by waiting around for me, and I didn’t want that. Hannah always seemed to know when I was feeling particularly low and would reassure me, she was in this for the long haul.
“The day she graduated, I proposed. Best decision I ever made,” he states proudly with a beaming smile.
I can’t help but think about my own life and how Faith fits into it.
While Erik might have continued to date Hannah during their separation, I haven’t dated Faith. Not because I didn’t want to, but because I felt like she deserved better. No one should be sitting by the phone, waiting for a phone call. Not at our age. We’re too young for that. And dating a military guy isn’t easy. I’ve heard all the horror stories from guys and girls in previous units. It takes a strong person to commit to someone they barely see. Too many of them were cheated on, and I always vowed to never put myself or the woman I was seeing in that kind of situation.
Not that I think Faith would do anything like that, but I’ve spent a lot of time keeping women at arm’s length. Especially after seeing the bullshit Ford went through with Sara. Ford and I met in boot camp and became fast friends. We were fortunate to be stationed together afterward and sent overseas at the same time. He told me a lot about the crap that happened when he enlisted. It had always been his plan, which she apparently knew. Yet somehow, she thought she could talk him out of it and blamed him for leading her on when her plan didn’t work. He was messed up for a while.