A/N: I was sitting in my church last Sunday, and they had a special service for Veterans... (Both my Grandpas and one of my Uncles were in the Army, and my cousin is in the Air Force.) When we were watching the video they played about the military, I was inspired to write this...It's my first one-shot, so please let me know what you think! Thanks!
{Roseville, Virginia}
Ding Dong!
"Just a minute please!" Rachel Morgan yelled right after the doorbell rang, hoping the visitor could hear her. She dropped the laundry basket onto the couch.
"Cammie! Come down here and fold this laundry!" She waited until she heard footsteps echoing on the stairs. 11-year-old Cameron skipped into the living room a few moments later. She spread her arms out and twirled in a tight little circle.
"What do you think, Mom? It's the new shirt that Grandma got me," She smoothed invisible wrinkles out of the floral top. "I think I'm gonna wear it when Dad comes home. Do you think he'll like it?"
Rachel smiled at her daughter and nodded approvingly. She opened her mouth to answer.
DING DONG!
"Hold on, Cam." Rachel walked across the room and pulled the heavy wooden door open. She gazed in surprise at the man she saw on the other side. He was dressed in an army uniform, not unlike the one her husband Matthew had been wearing when he left on duty almost two years ago.
"I'm so sorry about the wait. Is there something I can help you with?" Rachel smiled warmly at the stranger. She waited for an answer, her smile fading when she saw the grim disposition of the soldier. "Is something wrong?"
The man continued standing in his stiff position. He opened his mouth hesitantly.
"Please say something." Rachel whispered pleadingly. Her heart started beating faster, her mind racing as all the possibilities zipped through her head. She felt her heart beat speed up, its pace becoming irregular. Rachel pressed a fist to her chest. She saw someone coming up the driveway towards her house. As the person got closer, she recognized him as an old mentor of Matthew's, U.S. General Edward Townsend. Cammie came up behind Rachel, sliding her arms around her mother's waist.
"Hello Rachel." His voice was deep and gravelly. It reminded Rachel somewhat of sandpaper.
"General?" Rachel wrapped an arm around Cammie and pulled her closer. She put on a bright smile, hoping against all hope that the General was here with good news. But as hard as she tried to keep the smile up, it kept slipping.
"I'm sorry about this interruption, Rachel." The General's rough voice took on a sorrowful tone. "But it's important. It's about Matthew."
Slowly, Rachel looked down at Cammie. "Sweetie, why don't you go up to your room for a little while, huh? Finish cleaning and I'll be up in a little while."
"Mommy, why is he talking about Dad? Is something wrong?" Cammie eased back slightly, looking up at her mom with a worried look on her face. Rachel bent over and placed her hands on Cammie's shoulders.
"No, sweetie, I'm sure Daddy's fine. I just need to talk to General Townsend for a while." Rachel watched Cammie's retreating back, waiting until her daughter had disappeared up the stairs. She turned back to the general.
"Oh, I'm sorry! Please, come in." Rachel pulled the door opened completely, and gestured into the living room. General Townsend exchanged a short, murmured conversation with the man next to him, then stepped into the house. The other soldier walked back down the driveway and got into a black, nondescript vehicle sitting by the curb.
Rachel led General Townsend over to the couch, stopping for a moment to put the basket of laundry onto the floor. They sat down, facing each other.
"I'm sorry about the mess. We've been cleaning the house for when Matthew comes home." A bright smile lit up her face.
The general sighed. "Rachel, I don't exactly know how to tell you this. Matthew won't be coming home tomorrow. His team took on a mission in Iraq. Information retrieval. It should have simple, but something went wrong. His team was compromised in the middle of the task. Matthew, along with five other men on his team, has been officially classified as MIA." Townsend's shoulders drooped. He had made four of these visits this week already. Being the bearer of bad news was one of the things he disliked most about his job. But this was the visit he had been dreading the most. Matthew was one of his closest friends, and he hated having to bring this news home to Matt's wife. Townsend watched as the news sank in and waited for a reaction. Screaming, crying, denial: Those were the reactions he had gotten earlier in the week, from the other army wives.
But Rachel didn't cry. She didn't scream, accuse him of lying, didn't insist that Matthew was coming home tomorrow. But the light that had been gleaming in her eyes earlier, slowly dimmed, her happy expression sliding away as she processed the news. She sat motionless on the couch, staring off into space.
"I'll be home soon," Matthew whispered, his hands coming up to frame her face. He pulled Rachel close and kissed her gently. "I'll get to visit occasionally. The time will fly, you'll see." He brushed away the tears that welled up in her eyes.
Cammie stood silently in the corner. She stared at her dad silently, looking well beyond her nine years as the truth sank in. He dad was leaving. He was going off to a foreign country for two years. She hadn't completely understood when her parents had first talked to her. But the impact of the moment hit her right in the stomach now.
Cammie slowly walked up to her parents, wrapping her arms around her dad's legs. Matthew gave her a hug, then crouched down and placed his hands on Cammie's shoulders. He looked her straight in the eye.
"Be good for your mom, okay?"
She nodded somberly in response."I love you, Daddy."
"I love you too, Squirt." Matthew stood back up and picked up his bags.
"Wait!" Rachel stepped forward and gave her husband one last hug, savoring the moment. She leaned back. "I love you. So much."
"I love you too." He gave her a kiss.
Rachel pulled back slowly, her eyes searching his. "Promise me you'll come home. Safely. Please."
"I promise"
Rachel shook her head slowly.
"He promised," She whispered inaudibly. Deep down, she knew very well that Matthew couldn't control the circumstances, that he wanted to be home just as much as she wanted him to. But she couldn't let go of the promise. He would come home. She knew it. He had to.
Rachel tried to focus, glancing over at Townsend to find him staring at her with a pained and worried expression on his face. "Thank you for telling me personally. I know you two are close," she refused to use the past tense. "This must be very difficult for you."
Townsend stared at her sadly. Rachel had always been like that, thinking of everyone else's feeling's first. It was one of the many things that had originally made Matthew fall in love with her.
"Rachel…" he started, unsure of what to say.
"He's coming back. He'll come home. He promised," she replied, a firm conviction in her eyes. She stood up slowly. "I don't mean to be rude, but I need to go talk to Cammie now, I suppose."
Townsend stood up with her and walked towards the door. "I'm sorry, Rachel." With those final words, he shut the door behind him.
Rachel stood stock-still for a moment, alone now in the middle of the living room. She racked her brain, trying to think about how to tell Cammie. The doorbell rang once again, interrupting her thoughts. She pulled the door open once again and stared at the man in front of her. Joe Solomon.
"Hello Rachel." His voice was deeper than Matthew's; the sadness in it was evident.
"Joe... Hi. It-it's been a long time…" Her voice trailed off. Joe was Matthew's best friend. They had met when they were teenagers, right as Joe was getting pulled into a gang. Matthew intervened, and the two had been best friends ever since.
Joe had visited regularly back when Matthew had first left two years ago. He had tried to help while Matthew was gone: do the house repairs, help with the car, and watch Cammie when Rachel had no one else. But as time went on, Rachel changed her work hours, and they no longer needed help with the repairs, Joe had slowly stopped coming. Rachel had suspected that it was difficult for Joe, being around her and Cammie now that Matthew was away.
"I know. I'm sorry." He shifted uncomfortably. "John told me… about Matthew."
Rachel nodded slowly, her mind still in shock. "Oh, uh, come in." She backed up as Joe entered the house. He sat down on the couch, the exact spot where Townsend had been sitting 10 minutes earlier.
"I'm sorry I haven't been here for you, Rachel. I don't have an excuse. I was selfish and only thought of myself. It was hard on all of us, Matt being gone, but I was only thinking about how it affected me. I'm so sorry." He finished quietly, a sad look on his face. Rachel stared in his direction, not seeing Joe at all. She blinked and tried to focus as her eyes watered. Her breath caught in her throat and all she could do was stare helplessly at Joe as the tears began streaming down her face. Joe reached over and pulled her into his arms, trying to comfort her as the tears turned to sobs. Rachel leaned against him, longing for her husband. She cried herself to sleep, with one phrase echoing through her thoughts.
He promised.
-:-:-:-
One week later
Ding Dong! I'm so sorry, Rachel I know it must be difficult for you. I'm sorry about your loss. Your husband was a brave man. Ding Dong! What misfortune… We're very proud of him. Oh, Rachel, it must feel terrible. I'm so sorry. We are all here for you. Your daughter must be inconsolable. Let us know if you need anything. Please accept our condolences. Oh, you poor thing. Ding Dong! So young…And left with a daughter too… He was so young. We're all here for you. Such a tragedy. Ding Dong! I'm sorry…. Sorry… sorry….. So sorry.
"Thank you so much. I…appreciate it."
Rachel took a deep breath, shifted the bulky glass pan, and shut the front door once again. She walked stiffly into the kitchen and set the large casserole onto the counter, right beside the other eight identical meals. She heard the front door open and turned to see Joe walk in, holding yet another casserole, a platter of cookies, and a cheesecake. He stopped in surprise as he looked at the lack of space in the kitchen.
"More?" Rachel looked in dismay at the containers he held. "People need to get more creative with their gifts. I will never send anyone a casserole or gift basket ever again!"
Joe shrugged. "I guess I'll go put these on the dining table." He walked into the dining room and stopped short. Rachel followed. They stood side-by-side and stared.
"Fifteen casseroles, four pies, six platters of cookies, eight gift baskets, and twenty-five offers to help me with anything I need." Rachel leaned against the doorframe, an exhausted look on her face. "I just want Matthew," she whispered inaudibly.
Joe made room on the table and set down his load. He turned to gaze at her.
"I'm sick of the pitying looks and the apologies!" She burst out, throwing her hands up into the air. "Matthew isn't dead! He's NOT! He's just been…..temporarily detained! If ONE more person apologizes, I'm going to lose it!" She yelled. Joe held his hands up in a mock surrender and took a step back. He eyed her warily, as if he was, in fact, questioning her sanity. Rachel twitched as the doorbell rang once again.
"If that's someone else with another casserole, I swear…" She muttered under her breath. She marched over and closed her eyes before yanking the door open roughly.
"Oh, Rach, I'm so sor-"
Rachel threw up a hand and shook her head. She opened her eyes to see her sister, Abby standing on the doorstep, holding a stack of mail, eyebrows raised.
"Please….PLEASE don't apologize. I'm fine. Cammie's fine. Matthew isn't DEAD, he's just temporarily DELAYED. He's coming home! And no, I don't need another freakin' casserole!" Rachel stopped and looked at her sister.
"Hmm… Well, I was GOING to apologize for accidentally knocking over the pile of cards and gift baskets when I came onto the porch…But, hey! If you're okay with it….." Abby smiled. "Here's your mail. I threw out all the condolence letters. Joe filled me in." She stepped into the house and gave Rachel a long hug. A few minutes later, Abby pulled away and smiled. "Where's Squirt?"
"She's upstairs."
"How'd she take it?"
"She's been pretty quiet. She seems so much older now. It's like she aged twenty years in the last two days."
Cammie came into the room and spotted Abby.
"Hi, Aunt Abby."
"Hey, Squirt!" Abby held her arms open for a hug. Cammie hesitated for a moment, then slowly walked into her aunt's arms. She pulled back a moment later.
"I'm going back upstairs." She spoke quietly, glancing at her mother. Rachel nodded. All three adults watched as Cammie left.
Abby looked over at Rachel, an astonished look on her face. Rachel shrugged.
"I've tried to pull her out of it. But it's only been a week…so…"
Abby nodded slowly. "Okay, well, how can I help?"
A ghost of a smile appeared on Rachel's face. "Well, how much do you like casserole?"
Abby managed to grimace as she laughed.
-:-:-:-
"I'm worried about her." Abby walked alongside Joe, talking in low murmurs.
"Which one?"
"Well, both I suppose."
They walked back inside together, and went to find Rachel. They found her in the master bedroom, staring at a large frame on the wall. It was a picture of her, Matthew, and a three-year-old Cammie sitting in the park together, smiles on their faces.
"Rach," Abby began softly. "Why don't you just take a day and go off with Cammie? Spend some time away from the house. Go to the park. I think you both need to get away."
Rachel nodded and sniffled, wiping the tears out of her eyes. She headed up the stairs to find Cammie. "Cam?" Rachel called softly. She pushed the bedroom door open.
Cammie was curled up on her window seat, hugging her knees and staring out at the street. Rachel sat on the seat beside her daughter. "How….about…we….get out of here?" She spoke slowly and softly. Cammie slowly turned her head and looked her mom in the eye. Unshed tears glistened on her eyelashes. She nodded slowly.
-:-:-:-
"We took the picture right there," Rachel pointed to a small grove of trees off to her left. They were walking down a paved path that twisted through Roseville Gardens, the prettiest park in all of Virginia, in Rachel's opinion. Cammie stopped and walked over to the small opening. She turned around in a small circle. Rachel watched Cammie curiously, not sure what she was doing. Cammie suddenly stopped moving and just stared at her mother. She opened her mouth to speak hesitantly.
"I-I…..I miss him," Her mouth quivered. She walked a few steps along the path and sat down at a picnic table, her shoulders slumping. "I don't remember this place. I don't remember any of the pictures in the photo albums. All I remember is him telling me goodbye. Telling me to be good. And that he loves me." She buried her head in her arms and leaned on the table. "And-and I just want my daddy back!" Muffled sobs shook her tiny shoulders.
Rachel's heart hurt watching her. She crossed over to the table and sat beside Cammie. She pulled Cammie over and wrapped her arms around the shaking girl. "I know," Rachel whispered comfortingly. "I know it's hard. But it will be ok. He'll come home and everything will be all right. I can feel it. Your daddy loves you so much." She pressed a kiss to Cammie's forehead. "And so do I."
-:-:-:-
"-and we took this picture at Grandma and Grandpa's farm when you were five. The little boy next door, Josh, dared you to climb the big tree. You were scared to death. He called you on it, saying you were a scaredy-cat. And then you stood up, frowned at him, and raced up that tree as fast as you could. You sat up on the branch and looked so proud, calling for your daddy to come see. Until it was time to come down, anyway. You froze up, wouldn't move a muscle." Rachel laughed. Cammie smiled at the picture. Rachel had taken the photo at the perfect time. A much smaller version of Cammie sat on a large tree branch, a terrified expression on her face, her arms and legs wrapped around the wood as tight as they could. Matthew was standing on the branch below, reaching up to get his daughter.
"I like that one." Cammie traced the photo with her fingertips. "What's this one?" She pointed to a picture on the opposite page.
Rachel laughed dryly. "That's me making you apologize to Josh, after you punched him in the eye for calling you a scaredy-cat. His eye was black for a week!"
Cammie straightened up, looking somewhat proud. "I did that?"
"Yes you did," Rachel laughed. "I told your dad to punish you, but he was trying so hard not to laugh, to keep a straight face. He was secretly proud of you and just couldn't do it. And-"
DING DONG!
Rachel sighed in frustration. "Honestly, you would think we've had enough gifts and visits by now? Can't we just be left alone?" She stood up and walked over to the door, murmuring about murdered doorbells as she went. "Listen, I appreciate the thought, sort of, but I really don't need another-," she pulled open the door and stared at the scruffy man on the other side, "-casserole," she finished faintly. He smiled wearily.
"Casserole?" He raised an eyebrow.
Rachel stared at him in momentary silence. "Matthew?"
-:-:-:-
Cammie smiled as she flipped through the photo album once again. She reached the end and set it down on the coffee table in front of her. She stood up and stretched. There was an odd silence coming from the entryway in the front of the house. She frowned thoughtfully. Normally her mother was very abrupt when people came by the house with more gifts. She would accept it kindly, and then invent a believable reason to shut the door, quickly ending the conversation. Cammie walked toward the front door, becoming more curious about the silence the longer it lasted. Her frown became even deeper as she saw her mom in the arms of a strange man. He hadn't shaved in a few days, and looked like he had been working outside for a long time. She studied the figure, but couldn't see his whole face. Cammie cleared her throat indignantly, wondering just who this stranger was.
"Hey, what is going…." She stuttered to a stop as she looked into eyes the same color as her own "Daddy!" She breathed excitedly. She raced across the remaining space and lunged into her father's arms. He caught her with a grunt and swung her around a few times before setting her back on the ground.
"Cammie! I missed you so much, Squirt!" His bright white grin stood out against his deeply tanned face.
They spend the next few moments catching up, hugging, and just enjoying finally being back together.
"I knew you'd come back," Rachel stated simply.
"Well, I did promise," Matthew replied back, giving her another kiss. He walked back toward the door and paused with his hand on the knob. "I have a surprise for you two. I met someone while I was gone, and he needs a place to stay for a while. So I offered him a room here for a bit." He glanced over at Rachel and gauged her reaction. She nodded slowly. Matthew opened the door a crack and poked his head out. "You can come in now."
The door swung open slowly, revealing a tall boy a little older than Cammie. He had dark hair, and startlingly striking emerald green eyes. He stepped through the door and stood beside Matthew, a cocky smirk on his face.
"This is my wife, Rachel, and my daughter, Cameron, or Cammie." Matthew introduced. "Girls, this is Zach."
Zach and Cammie looked up slowly and their eyes met.
"Hi," she spoke softly, smiling
Zach's smirk was replaced by a similar smile. "Hey,"
Cammie's cheeks turned a light pink.
Matthew felt Rachel's eyes boring into him over the kids' heads. He looked up and met her gaze. She stared pointedly at the two kids and then raised an eyebrow at her husband. He grinned sheepishly, then spoke up, ignoring the groans his next comment provoked.
"All right then…. Who wants casserole?!"
A/N: Okay, so Im trying to decide if I should continue with this idea and write a story with this oneshot as a prequel... What do you guys think? Please leave a review and let Me know!