Chapter 1 – "The Memorial Day Parade"
Elizabeth awoke and rose early. She descended the stairs of her small home and proceeded to go into the kitchen to fix some coffee. Her golden retriever, Wally, followed close behind her. She needed coffee this morning. It had been another hard night with barely any sleep. She had tossed and turned, unable to rid the thoughts in her head.
As she poured her coffee and sat down at the small dining table in the corner of the kitchen, she let her mind wander to thoughts of him. Thoughts of him overseas. Thoughts of him fighting to stay alive. Thoughts of him possibly being killed.
Before long, she came back to the present with tears streaming down her cheeks. She reached for a tissue and wiped her eyes, unsure of how much longer she could wait. It had been three years. Three very long years. Her mind thought back to that moment they said goodbye.
Three Years Ago…
Growing up, his father was in the military, so he knew how hard it was to leave his family. His dad was never around growing up, so his dad missed out on a lot of things. He knew firsthand how hard it was to say goodbye and not know if the person you loved would come home.
He had been fighting an internal struggle with himself after the death of a close friend about whether or not he should join the military. Elizabeth had heard him speaking to the pastor about it at church and she spoke out and said, "I don't want you to go." He knew in his heart how much he loved Elizabeth and how he hated to leave her, but he felt like this was his duty to his country. When he told her he had to leave, she had asked when he was leaving and how long he would be gone. "I'll be leaving the next morning at daybreak. And, I'm unsure of how long I will be gone, as it's an indefinite posting." Elizabeth began crying, running out of her home with Jack chasing after her. She ran down the steps as Jack reached for her and grabbed her arm, pulling her to him. "Elizabeth!" "Jack, please. Just please let me go. I can't do this right now. Please." Elizabeth walked away crying as Jack stood in silence wondering what he could do to help her with the pain of losing him for an uncertain amount of time. He realized he knew what he had to do. He spent all day planning and getting things ready. Finally, the time had come. He went to her home and knocked on the front door, leaving a small note sitting on the porch. Elizabeth came to the door, opening it and seeing no one outside. She was getting ready to turn around and head back in until she saw the small white envelope laying on the porch with her name on it. She reached down and picked it up, recognizing the handwriting on the envelope. As she opened the envelope, she saw a note wrote on a white card. "Take a walk with me." She smiled as she looked at the envelope and then heard someone walking up the steps. It was Jack. He was dressed in his military uniform. He reached his hand out to take her hand in his. He smiled as she leaned in close to him. She could still smell his cologne. Woodsy and masculine. He led them to the park near her home. They stopped walking and he stood in front of her, kissing her on the forehead. He stepped back and smiled at her. His dimples. The dimples she had fallen in love with. Oh, how she missed those dimples. He continued holding her hand, leading her where she needed to go with him. She hadn't realized it, but there was a small old historic church in this park. When the church came into her full view, she saw candles all around. She couldn't believe her eyes. Jack led her to the base of the church steps, where he stopped and turned to her, grabbing both of her hands in his. She quickly asked him, "Is there a reason for this walk?" He smiled at her, saying, "There is." He continued to hold her hands in his, looking down at first and then looking back into her eyes. "Elizabeth…From the very first moment we met, I knew that heaven had sent an angel into my life. I don't know when I'll be coming back, so I don't know if it's fair to ask you to wait for me." Elizabeth stopped him, reaching out and placing her hand on his chest. "Jack, I would wait an eternity for you." Looking at him, tears began to gather in her eyes. Jack smiled back at her, tears threatening to spill out of his eyes as well. And then it happened. Jack got down on one knee, pulling out a black ring box and holding it up to her. He slowly opens the box, the ring sparkling off the light coming from the candles around them. "Elizabeth Thatcher…will you marry me?" Elizabeth smiles and laughs a short laugh, unable to control the tears that begin to run down her cheeks. "Of course I will, yes!" Jack stands up, pulling Elizabeth to him and they both kiss. They both stand close together and Jack places the ring on her finger. She remembers how surprised she was at him asking her to marry him. She knew he had something planned but was shocked at him asking her. The next morning, Jack has to leave for his posting in the Middle East. He was dressed again in his military uniform. Elizabeth didn't want to see him go. Her heart was hurting so bad seeing him leaving her. She wasn't sure how she would make it without him. She wasn't even sure how long he would be gone. But she knew, in her heart, he would come home to her. She had to trust God and trust that everything would work out for them. It had to work out. He had to come back to her. Jack proceeded to get in the car to head to the airport. Elizabeth couldn't believe this was happening. He got into the car, his luggage with him, turning back to Elizabeth. "I have to go." Elizabeth had been crying and she nodded that she understood. But her heart was breaking into pieces. She hugged him goodbye, not sure if she would see him ever again. The thought made her cry even more. Jack hugged her back and got in the car. He turned to the driver's window, turning the ignition on and waved bye to her. He began pulling out of the driveway when he saw her running behind the car in the rear view mirror. He stopped and got out of the car. "Jack!" Elizabeth said as she ran to him. He ran to her and took her in his arms. She was crying uncontrollably. They kissed so passionately that it took everything they could to break apart. Jack reached for her hand and kissed her engagement ring. He looked back into Elizabeth's eyes, kissing her once more, then turned and got into the car and drove off. Elizabeth stood in the driveway crying, vowing that she would continue to wait for him to come back to her however long it took.
Present Day
Elizabeth looked up at the sun shining through the kitchen window. This was a new day. Maybe today she would hear some good news about the fighting that was going on in the Middle East. It seemed like everything she saw on the news or read in the newspapers talked about how horrible the fighting was over there, how so many people were being killed. She wasn't sure how much longer she could take the constant reminder of Jack being gone. How much longer would she have to wait for him to come back to her? She held onto the promise that he made. That was the only thing that could help her each day. The only thing that could help her fight to keep going.
She jumped in the shower and decided to get ready for the day. She wasn't sure what she wanted to do, but she knew she wanted to get out of the house. She knew it was supposed to be a nice warm summer day, so she figured she'd go to the park where Jack had asked her to marry him. She knew it probably wasn't the best idea because of the memories it would bring back.
As she was leaving her house, she turned to lock the front door and noticed a small door hanger hanging on the door knob. She reached down and picked it up, scanning the title.
"Memorial Day Parade Today in Town! Come down and honor our military members and veterans! Parade, free hot dogs, balloons! Starts at noon today!"
She had forgotten that today was Memorial Day. A time to honor all the military members both past, present, and future. Elizabeth took a deep breath, unsure if she wanted to go or not. She knew it would be hard to see all the military members, their families. Was she willing to go? Would she struggle with the uncertainty of Jack? She pulled out her phone and checked the time. 10:56am. She took a deep breath and decided she would go. Since she only lived a few blocks from town, she decided to walk there instead of driving. She knew parking would be horrible and she didn't want to fight everyone for a good spot. She decided to stop in and see Abigail first before the parade.
Abigail owned the only café in town and was a best friend to Elizabeth. When Elizabeth had moved to town five years ago to teach, Abigail had taken her in under her wing, helping her with what she needed help with. Whether it was the children, the parents, the school board or Jack – anything she went to Abigail with, Abigail was always willing to lend a hand and an ear.
Elizabeth walked into the café, the small bell above the door dinging. Abigail looked up from the counter and smiled as Elizabeth walked in.
"Well, good morning Elizabeth! It's so good to see you this morning!" Abigail said as she reached for a coffee cup and poured Elizabeth a cup. "How are things going?"
Elizabeth sat down, reaching for the sugar packets on the counter. She ripped open a pink Splenda packet, pouring it into her coffee. Elizabeth looked up and smiled. "I'm doing good Abigail. It's been hard with Jack being gone. I just miss him so much." Tears threatened to spill out of her eyes, so Elizabeth hurriedly took a sip of the hot coffee. The steam felt good on her face.
"Don't worry Elizabeth. You'll see him soon. And besides…" Abigail said as she reached for Elizabeth's hand. "This is his promise to you. His promise to you that he will be back. He will come back for you. Trust me." Abigail said as she held Elizabeth's hand, looking at Elizabeth's engagement ring.
Elizabeth smiled and nodded at Abigail. She knew she was right. She needed to stop worrying and just try to make each day a better day. Before long, she would see Jack and she needed to focus on him first.
"So, are you going to stay in town to see the Memorial Day parade?" Abigail asked as she turned and pulled a blueberry muffin out of the bin, setting it down in front of Elizabeth.
Again, Elizabeth took a deep breath. "Yes, I'm planning to go. I'm just not sure how long I will be able to watch the parade for. It'll be hard for me to watch all the military members go by."
Elizabeth began eating the muffin, practically scarfing it down in seconds. She hadn't realized how hungry she was. She knew she wasn't eating very well because of how much she missed Jack.
Abigail reached for another muffin, placing it in front of Elizabeth. Abigail knew that Elizabeth had to keep her strength up for Jack. She hated seeing her best friend so sad and depressed.
Before long, the town's people had gathered on the sidewalk waiting for the parade to start. Elizabeth stood beside of Abigail, unsure of how much she would be able to watch and take in.
The parade began, first with all the emergency response vehicles. Their sirens blaring and lights flashing. Next came all the kids that were involved in the local sports – basketball, football, baseball, soccer. Then came the marching bands of all the local schools. Some songs were off key, but most sounded good. Then came the local VFW with their American flags and uniforms. Then came the most difficult part – the military members and different branches.
Elizabeth watched as each military member walked by. American flags, uniforms, guns. Each branch walked by in front of her, making it seem that time had slowed down. Before long, Jack's branch walked by, the Marines, and she found this was the most difficult part. She watched as each member walked by dressed in their white pants, black coat, and white hat. She noticed all the pins on their coats. All the badges and name tags. Tears began to fall as she watched them.
Abigail noticed how hard this was for Elizabeth, but she knew if she could stay until the end, it would be worth it. She hadn't said anything to Elizabeth, but there was a surprise waiting at the end of the parade.
After a few minutes, the Marines walked back and the parade began to end. The last few cars were the town's council members and the mayor saying how much they appreciated everyone for coming out to show their support of the military.
Abigail and Elizabeth had said goodbye, telling each other they would visit tomorrow for lunch. Elizabeth turned to walk back home, but something caught her eye. She saw in the far distance a Marine slowly walking down the sidewalk, dressed in the same uniform as those who had passed not ten minutes ago. Something about this Marine made her stop in her tracks. She watched as the Marine got closer. She couldn't make out his face because of the bright sun behind him, but something was pulling her to him.
Then it hit her. She squinted her eyes against the sun and she saw it. The familiar face. The familiar dimples. The familiar smile. Was she dreaming? Was he real? Was this really happening? She began crying, tears of joy running down her cheeks. She ran to him. She felt like she couldn't get there fast enough. He dropped what he was carrying and held out his open arms to her. She jumped into his arms, taking in the familiar scent, unable to stop crying. He was home. He was finally home to her after three years. Three long years that had gone by without him. They held each other for a long time, both crying, both unable to let go. They didn't want to let go. Each felt like if they let go, they'd disappear or wake up from this dream. Finally, they broke from their hug and looked into each other's eyes. That spark was still there. The love they felt from three years ago was still there. Jack took Elizabeth in and kissed her so passionately that it made her whole world stop. She felt like it was just her and Jack on the sidewalk, alone. She had yearned for the day that she would be back in his arms, safe and sound. She just couldn't believe today was that day.
Before long, Jack and Elizabeth made their way back to Elizabeth's home. They wanted to spend every second together. They had so much to catch up on. As they walked into the front door, Wally, Elizabeth's golden retriever, greeted them. He began to bark at the unfamiliar guest in the room but quickly warmed up to Jack as Elizabeth let Wally know Jack was a good person.
Elizabeth wasn't sure where to begin. She had waited three years for him to home to her and now that he was here, she wasn't sure what to say or do.
"Jack…" Elizabeth began but wasn't sure what to say next. Jack was sitting on the futon in the living room. He smiled at Elizabeth and reached out his hand, pulling her close to him.
"Elizabeth, I've missed you so much. You have no idea how hard it was for me to be away from you for so long. Every day was a struggle. I mean, three years is a long time but I'm so happy to be home and to be with you. I don't want to leave you ever again. I can't bear the thought of being without you. You are my sun, my moon, and my stars. You are everything to me, Elizabeth. I just love you so much." Jack said as he pulled her into his embrace, kissing her with every ounce of his being.
Breaking from their kiss, Elizabeth spoke up. "Would you like to go out to dinner? Or would you like to stay in? Truthfully, I'm not sure what to do. I just wasn't expecting you to show up. I still can't believe that you are here. That you are here in my living room sitting with me. I feel like this a dream and I'll wake up and you'll be gone. Please don't leave me, Jack." Elizabeth began crying, pulling into Jack's chest, unable to control her emotions.
"Shhhh….It's okay. I'm not leaving you. Never again Elizabeth. I promise." Jack said as he stroked her cheek and held her in his arms.
Jack smiled and pulled Elizabeth up by the chin to look into his eyes. "I have an idea. How about we order something to eat, have it delivered and stay in tonight? How does that sound to you?" Elizabeth smiled and wiped the tears that were still on her cheeks. "That sounds heavenly Jack." They went back to holding each other for a few minutes before they broke away and decided to order a pizza. They had a lot of catching up to do and both were unsure of where to start.
After ordering the pizza, Jack walked back into the living room, placing his cell phone on the coffee table and sitting back on the futon. He held Elizabeth in his arms, unwilling to let go. "So, what kind of pizza did you order?" Elizabeth asked as she watched Jack sit down beside of her, pulling her close. "Your favorite – A large pizza with pepperoni, banana peppers, and cheese," Jack said as he smiled at her. "You remembered!" Elizabeth said as she was shocked that after three years he could still remember her favorite toppings on a pizza. Jack reached for her hand, kissing her knuckles. "Elizabeth, I remember everything about you. About you and I. I remember everything because that was what kept me going these last three years." Again, Elizabeth couldn't believe what she was hearing. Tears threatened to spill out onto her cheeks again. "I love you so much, Elizabeth," Jack said as he kissed her. "I love you too Jack. I'm so glad you are home." Elizabeth said as she returned the kiss.
Before they knew it, the pizza had been delivered, they ate and it was time for Jack to head home. Neither wanted to see the other one leave. They knew the promises they made to themselves and to each other. Neither would stay at the other one's house until they were married. But, when Jack began to leave, they both realized how hard it would be to say goodbye until morning.
Both had begun saying goodbye, not wanting the other person to leave. Jack had walked to the front door and gathered his stuff – he still had all his luggage to get home and unload. As Jack turned to open the door, he heard it. "Jack…" Elizabeth had said in her tone that drove him into her arms. He dropped everything and ran to her, kissing her. He began kissing her and then began to kiss her neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him. Elizabeth returned the kiss and placed one hand on his stomach and one hand on his hip. They knew how close they were getting, but neither wanted to let go. Jack begins to move his hand to her lower back, taking his other hand and placing it on her cheek. Elizabeth began tracing her finger on the top of his pants, touching her fingers to his smooth skin. Jack jumped at the touch, wanting to go further, knowing he couldn't, he shouldn't. His mind raced faster than he could think and before they knew it, Jack had pushed Elizabeth up against the wall, his hands first on her shoulders, then down her arms, then on her hips. He wanted to go further, but his mind was telling him no. Jack was the first to break from his hold on Elizabeth. He let out a frustrated breath that he was holding, unable to look Elizabeth in the eye.
"Elizabeth…I'm…" Jack said before Elizabeth took her finger and placed it over his mouth. "Shhhhh…It's okay. You didn't do anything wrong, Jack." Elizabeth said as she looked at him and pulled his face up to look at her. His eyes were misty with tears and she knew how much it hurt him to not be able to further their relationship because of not being married.
"I have an idea," Elizabeth said as she walked over to the kitchen counter and pulled out a piece of paper and pen. Jack was confused on what she was doing but slowly joined her in the kitchen. "What's your idea?" Jack asked confusion wrote all over his face. He wasn't sure what she had planned. "Okay, we got engaged when you left three years ago, right?" Elizabeth said as she began writing on the piece of paper. "Right," Jack said, still confused at where this was going. "Okay, we both know that being apart for three years has taken a toll on us and our relationship, as we both noticed just a few seconds ago from our actions," Elizabeth said as she looked at Jack, smiling a short smile and blushing. Jack smiled back. "Right." "Okay, so, let's do this – let's make a list of stuff that we need to do before we get married and plan for our wedding. What do you think Jack?" Jack looked at her and realized how serious she was about this. Gosh, how he loved this woman. Jack pulled her into his arms, their faces centimeters from each other. "I think it's a great idea," Jack said before quickly kissing her.
"Okay, so let's see…" Elizabeth said as she went back to the paper, picking up the pen to write down their ideas. "We need a license, date, location, dress, tux, flowers, cake, a reception and family/friends," Elizabeth said as she began to write those items down. "Have you given any thought to a date?" Elizabeth looked up at Jack as she saw he was grinning from ear to ear. "Elizabeth, I would marry you right this second if we had a preacher here to marry us. I don't need a fancy wedding, a tux or anyone around us to be married to you." Jack said as he held Elizabeth's hand and kissed her engagement ring. Elizabeth took a deep breath and smiled. "Well, I don't need any of that stuff either. But I do want to have a nice location for the wedding to remember it by. Do you have any ideas on a location close to here?" They both thought for a few minutes and Jack snapped his fingers. "I got it! How about this – How about Virginia Beach?" Elizabeth took the location in, thought about it and smiled. "Perfect. It doesn't have to be special. Just the two of us and a preacher." Elizabeth said as she continued to write. Before long, they had decided that they would be married the next weekend at Virginia Beach. With Elizabeth being on summer break from teaching, she had all summer off. And with Jack being back from the military, he was able to take off some time before he had to go back into the police department full time. It was settled – Next Saturday they would drive down to Virginia Beach and get married. After three years apart, they would finally be married. The day couldn't come soon enough.