Callie's POV

It's been 5 years. Five years since we went our separate directions onto our new pathways for the future. 5 years since I've heard him talk, seen him smile, heard his laugh... Then that one rainy Sunday morning I was sitting in my bedroom strumming my guitar when I heard it. I heard his laugh, his voice that I have been craving to hear for the past five years. I didn't want to move, as much as I thought I wanted to hear it I now just wanted to go hide and never be found. I heard Lena, Stef and Jude laughing with Brandon downstairs. I heard footsteps leave the house and then one pair of feet ascend the stairs toward my room. I was expecting it to be Lena or Stef telling me to come downstairs and say hi to him, I thought as I got lost in all the scenarios in my head. That didn't last very long because the next thing I knew there was a knock in my bedroom door and their he was in my doorway. Brandon. I stared at him, lost in his eyes as he did the same to me. What am I doing I thought to myself, he broke you, don't think he won't do it again. My thoughts kept screaming at me in my head, pounding, pulling my brain apart. But I couldn't focus one that all I could focus on was those eyes that were staring at me, into me.

"Hi", he said as he entered through my doorway. "Hey" I said quietly. "Jude, Stef, and Lena are going to get some dinner." He replied. I nodded. "Callie.." He began as he sat next down next to me. I looked at him waiting for him to finish his sentence when he began to start tearing up. "I'm so sorry I left without saying goodbye, and nobody knew where I went." I'm so sorry I didn't tell you I was going to Afghanistan to fight in the war." "I just couldn't bring myself to tell you, to look in your eyes right when everything was starting to look happy for you, for us, and then tell you that." Brandon said in one breath and tears started to stream down his face. "I love you, Callie." I came back and I'm not going to leave you again he said as he softly took my face in both of his hands and placed a gentle kiss on my lips. I was stunned at first and then, all my anger, all my sadness seemed to drift away and I was in complete bliss as I deepened our kiss. He grabbed my waist and pulled me as close as I could go toward him as I ran my fingers through his hair. I couldn't stop smiling, I couldn't remember when I was ever this happy. And then hell happened. His face started getting blurry, he was slipping through my fingers, I couldn't feel him next to me anymore. I started to panic when my eyes shot open. I was gasping for air and my heart was beating a mile a minute. I looked around my dark empty room and started crying softly as I looked at my bedside table and read the piece of paper, the one piece of paper that I will never let go. I read it for what seemed like the millionth time. It read

In loving memory of

Brandon Foster

1995-2017

Devoted Son, Brother, Friend

You will be forever in our hearts

I put the piece of paper down on my nightstand and rolled over on my bed dreaming of him being here with me again and never letting me go.