Nick lay in the sand of the vast desert, staring up at the starlit sky. He felt sand and dust everywhere. It was in his ears, on his face, and in his boots and uniform. An icy breeze flew by his parched lips. He was miserable.
The only thing that kept him going was her. He reached into the pocket of his camouflage uniform and pulled out a picture. It was a picture of the love of his life, Selena. Her straight chocolate hair cascaded down to her shoulders. She grinned at the camera lovingly. Her hands rested on her pregnant belly. He turned it over and wiped off some of the dirt. It read: Come home to me. He was going to make sure of that.
She laid there, her small pregnant body curled in a ball, all alone in the bed. Tears stung in her eyes as she looked over to the empty side of the bed, wishing he was there. She clung desperately to his pillow, but his smell was long gone. His face lingered in her memory, torturing her.
She thought about what had happened earlier that day. Someone rang the doorbell. She prayed it was him as she walked to the door, but she saw a tall man instead. He wore a black suit, shiny black shoes, and a white hat and gloves. She saw an envelope in his hand, but she didn't need to read it, his face told her what she already knew: Nick was gone.
She struggled to keep her tiny frame upright. The world was spinning. The next thing she could remember was being caught by the man when she fainted.
Her mind wandered back, months before, to the day he left her. She remembered him, handsome and proper in his green army uniform. She remembered crying. He held her in his arms and promised everything was going to be alright … but it wasn't. She kissed him for the last time. Before he left she gave him the picture he had taken of her on the Georgia beach that they lived next to. It wasn't until he had gotten on the plane did he notice the note written on the back.
She couldn't be in the house. Everything in it reminded her of him. The kitchen where they'd spend weekend afternoons cooking and making a mess, the living room where they'd cuddle and watch TV until they fell asleep, even their bedroom door where Nick sat outside all night after they'd have a fight, which was very rare.
Selena walked along the beach. She had always told him that the sea was where her heart was. The wet sand squished beneath her tiny feet. She reviewed every memory and detail of him in her mind.
She paused when she heard the crackle of lightning in the distance. She started heading back to the white house she used to call home, now it was a sad reminder that he wasn't coming back, that and the small kicking baby inside her.
As she slowly made her way up the hill it began to rain. The cool wet droplets were comforting on her skin. She remembered dancing in the rain with Nick. The rain and her tears were a salty mixture that slid down her face.
6 years later…
Selena woke up she looked out the window to the place where she used to live. She called it 'her broken heart'. She wished she could leave, but she loved the beach and even though she said she would, she would never leave that place. The beach and her daughter Sophie were all that made her happy these days. She figured she'd sell her old house. She couldn't bear to live there, because although she thought of him daily, the house would remind her even more of him.
"Sophie!" she called.
"Coming mommy!" Sophie yelled from outside.
Selena went outside and saw her little 7 year old daughter sitting at the trunk of a tree.
"Look mommy! Whose NJ and SG?"
Selena felt a tear go down her cheek.
"I don't know. Come on babe."
An hour later, while Sophie sat at the table eating breakfast, the door rang. Selena jogged to the door and opened it quickly.
"Hi. I'm Miley. I came by to see the house that's for sale."
She had auburn hair and kind blue eyes. She smiled warmly at Selena.
"Sure. Right this way."
They walked over to the house. It looked the same. Selena had flashbacks of the good and bad times she had in this house, all of them involving Nick.
"I heard that there was a story to this house," she asked.
"Yeah. There was a boy and a girl. They were madly in love." She smiled. "One day the girl found out she was pregnant. It was all so perfect … until the boy was called away to fight in war." She took a long pause. "He died…" Her voice trailed of as she remembered.
"It was you?"
Selena nodded. She gave a weak smile.
Later…
"Well bye," Miley said. "I love the house. I'm sure Nick will too." She got into her car and drove off, leaving Selena confused. Nick? She shrugged it off and went inside.
That night Selena had a dream. She and Nick were walking along the beach. The sun was setting, the sky was pink, and most importantly she had Nick. He grabbed her waist and gently pulled her close. She looked up at him, her cheeks almost as rosy as the sky. He leaned down, his hot breath crashing on her neck. He kissed her.
Then the sun disappeared. The beach grew quiet and still. Selena heard the loud piercing sounds of gunshots and airplanes over the hill. Nick looked at her; she gave him a pleading look. He kissed her one last time before running over the hill.
Selena's eyes shot open. She was in a cold sweat, her hair was matted against her forehead, and she had a scared expression on her face. She cried herself back to sleep.
The next morning…
Selena had gotten Sophie ready and was heading to the grocery store.
"Mommy?"
"Yes snoogums boogums?"
"Mooom," she whined. "I don't like that name and by the way, who's Nick?"
Selena was so surprised she swerved the car. When she was steady she glanced at her surprised daughter in her rearview mirror.
"Where did you hear that name?"
"You kept mumbling it in your sleep. So who is he?" she persisted.
"He's, um, an old friend."
"Oh… okay! Can we get ice cream after we go to the store?"
"I don't know, you don't let me call you snoogums boogums…How about Soph?"
"Deal."
Sophie smiled that same smile that Selena would give Nick when she got what she wanted.
Selena was walking along the isle with Sophie in her cart when she bumped into to someone. She looked up.
"I'm soooo so- Miley? Hey!"
"Hey Sel! What's up?
"Just picking up some groceries and taking Sophie for ice cream. You?"
"Oh, Noah, Nick, and I needed some things."
"Oh your boyfriend is here?"
"Yeah. Nick! Noah! Guys come over here!"
Selena turned around and her heart stopped. Standing 3 feet away was the man she loved and thought, until now, was dead. She turned pale. Was it a hallucination? Was he a ghost? He looked mainly the same except for his muscles which Selena figured had gotten bigger in war.
She was so confused. Did he forget his pregnant girlfriend at home? Did he even come home after the war? Did he ever really care? Her mind couldn't sort out all of the questions and emotions filling her head. She felt dizzy. He was about to talk when Selena grabbed Sophie and rushed out of the store.
Selena sat in her car for awhile, thinking, or at least trying to. She put her hands over her face and cried. The tears pored out of her. She was happy that he wasn't dead, mad that he moved on, and was confused about everything else. She proceeded to cry.
"Mommy don't cry," Sophie said climbing into Selena's lap. "Don't be sad. It'll be okay."
Selena hugged her and kissed her forehead.
"I'm sorry Soph. Mommy's not sad anymore." She was, but she couldn't let Sophie know about that.
That night…
Selena and Sophie were cuddled up watching TV when the doorbell rang. Selena got up and opened the door. She saw Miley, she was anxious and her oceanic eyes were filled with guilt and fear.
"Um, hey Miles," she said nervously. Had she seen what happened at the grocery store between Nick and her? She hoped not.
"Hey. I was just wondering how you and Nick know each other."
"Oh, were just, um, old friends. Why?"
"I have something to tell you." They sat together on the couch. "I don't know what to do with Nick. I mean we met 4 years ago and I thought I fell in love… but…I was wrong. He never talks to me about his past. The only thing he told me was that he loved it here. I mean I was in love for a while but… Oh I sound crazy!"
"No you don't. I understand. People fall out of love all the time." This reminded her of what happened at the grocery store.
"I mean we could be really good friends, but that connection just isn't there anymore. I thought bringing him her would help, but it just made it worse. And he keeps having these dreams and mumbling 'Selena'. Do you know why?"
"…No…"
"I think I'm going to break up with him and buy the house."
Selena started having doubts. The house did have some of her saddest memories, but it also had her best ones too.
"Oh! Mommy Please do! Sell it to her now!"
"Actually Soph, I was thinking, maybe we could move in next door and Miley could have this house."
"That would be perfect!" Miley and Sophie squealed in unison.
Sophie's coffee colored eyes sparkled with happiness. She had always had a connection and love to the house, but Selena never let her go inside.
Miley left an hour later.
"Babe, you want to take a walk on the beach?"
"Yeah!"
Sophie and Selena walked along the beach holding hands. The sun was setting. The sky was pink. The salty sea air blew in their faces.
"I love it here mommy."
"Me too."
"Mommy?"
"Yeah babe?"
"What happened to my daddy?"
"Oh, um, I'll tell you soon. I promise."
"My heart is by the sea," Selena sighed.
"Mine too." Sophie said smiling.
Sophie ran ahead and a few minutes later Selena caught up with her to see her sitting next to a man. Selena jogged up.
"Oh, I'm sorry sir. Sophie come-"She saw that the man was Nick. "…on…"
Selena took Sophie and was about to walk away when the Nick said, "Please don't go."
Selena tried not to cry. He stood up.
"Selena I'm, I'm-"She cut him off.
"You're what Nick? Sorry? Why didn't you come home? You promised! I waited 6 years to hear you come through that door and now I see you with a wife and kid?" She tried to walk away again, but he grabbed her arm.
"I did come home! All your stuff was gone! I figured you'd left me."
She pulled her hand away.
"I loved you. I never stopped loving you, but you just went and moved on. You left me her with your unborn baby? Are you happy now? You've lost me. Now I won't screw up your perfect new life! Now why don't you just leave? Stay out of my dreams! Stay out of my life!" She went down to where Sophie was playing and took her home. That night she cried herself to sleep.
The next day…
Miley came over with Noah. They had moved everything out of the house and next door to the other. They were now painting the walls.
Selena had told Miley everything about her and Nick. Miley understood and forgave her. Miley and Noah slept in Selena's room for the night. Selena and d Sophie were cuddled together on the sofa watching TV, something they often did.
"Mommy?"
"Yeah Soph?"
"Now can you tell me what happened to my daddy?" She gave Selena a puppy dog face.
Selena took a long pause and stared into Sophie's pleading chocolate eyes.
"We met when we were kids. I was new and, well, he was nice. We became best friends. We grew up together. Our mommas used to joke about the two of us growing up and falling in love. We did. He was my first everything. My first kiss, my first date, and, I guess, we never got tired of each other. He bought this house because I loved it and because we spent every summer here on the beach. Everything was great, but it got even better. I found out I was pregnant." Sophie gasped.
"With me!" she said proudly.
"Mhm, but then your daddy had to leave."
"He didn't love us anymore?"
"No, no! He loved us both very much." Sophie smiled. "He was called to war."
"Why did he go?"
"He had to. If they would have let him your daddy would have stayed with us, but he was very brave and went. Time passed. You were almost coming, but one day they told me your daddy…was...um…not coming back."
"What was his name?"
"Nicholas Jerry Jonas."
"Like Nick, Noah's daddy?" Selena nodded.
"I like Nick. I wish he was my daddy."
"Why?"
"He gave me this pretty picture of you."
Sophie pulled out a small piece of paper from her pocket. It was a picture of Selena. Selena took the picture. It was worn and folded in half. She flipped it over. It said: Come home to me. Selena remembered giving it to him the day he left. She looked below her writing and it said something in cursive. Nick wrote in cursive. She remembered asking him why he wrote in cursive. "Because it's more romantic." He had said with a grin. The writing said: I promise I will.
Selena ran outside with Sophie. The sky was gray and clouds were forming overhead. She drove to the house were Miley used to live and found Nick wasn't there. She drove to the nearest beach and saw Nick walking. It began to rain. She called out his name and he turned around. She smiled at him. She ran to him with Sophie.
"What are you- "He was cut off by Selena kissing him. She pulled away and smiled.
"Eww," Sophie said. They all hugged in the rain.
"I told you I would come back." Nick said.