Title: A Record of One Year

Summary: Following Promised Day, Mrs. Bradley recounts her tale of loss, love, and raising a homunculus. Canon-Compliant, Brotherhood/Manga.

Chapter Title: August 2-8, 1915

Note: In my Head-Canon, Promised Day occurs on August 1 and Mrs. Bradley's first name is Minna.

August 2, 1915

It's over. It's really, truly over. What the media has been referring to as the Promised Day, a day when heroes arose and stopped evil forces.

I hate it. I despise yesterday. Wish it never happened.

I'm biased, though. I lost a husband, a loyal husband of over thirty years, and my precious, lovely Selim. I still have him, in infant form. He won't be the same ever again though. He's a different son.

My new start. Yet still my lovely Selim. I'm not sure what to do with him. He's so small. Delicate. I've never seen an infant as small as him. But he's not human, so it makes sense. Can he die? So fragile…

August 3, 1915

Sitting in the waiting room of the hospital, writing. I brought Selim here today, said that I had given birth to him when I found out my husband's death, very traumatic, and they believed me.

I don't know what they do to help premature babies. Hope he's alright. And that they don't find out he's a homunculus. Don't want to think about it.

Surprised they accepted my lie. Never been a good liar, ever. Think they chalked it up to trauma. Very reasonable. I'm scarred, changed, different. I know I won't be the same again. I lost the two most important parts of me.

Now I just have one shard left, and maybe one that can heal a hole.

August 4, 1915

Selim is completely fine. Thank god. He might always be small for his age, maybe, but that's the worse. I can take him home in a week. They'll have me come in weekly to check up on him, though.

I'm fine with that. Better lots of check-ups, lots of time spent at the doctor's and the hospital, than no Selim. I might break at that. Patter down into pieces, one by one, and scream as my world shatters. No more Selim, no more King, no more Minna. That's how it works.

I think that the doctor signed me up for therapy. Not sure if he can do that, not sure if he really did, but I have my suspicions. Maybe I need it, maybe I don't. I'll have to lie a lot, though.

NOTE: Talk to military involved in Promised Day A.S.A.P. Find out cover story I have to maintain.

August 5, 1915

I'm not sure where to go. The hospital let me stay with them another night, very nice of them, but I can't do it again. Go home? Alone, to the place where I spent many happy moments with my family? I don't think I can. Too fresh, too intense, too alone. I might break down, and I can't do that. Not when I have a child to think of.

Someone else's home, then? Yes, that's it. Someone who knows the secret? Who? I can't stay at one of the males' homes, too unprofessional. Riza Hawkeye? Maria Ross? No, no, don't know those people. Ah, perhaps Conrad will let me stay? It is just him and Adelaide, after all.

Yes, I will stay with my older brother and sister-in-law. Hopefully they will have me.

August 6, 1915

I'm staying with them. Just till I can bring Selim home. Why did I doubt? I have good family. Always had. Always will.

Didn't tell them the truth about Selim. Told them that he died along with King, that I had been pregnant with a second child and hadn't told people yet, and then the same story I told the doctors. They swallowed it. After all, why would I be lying to them? No other plausible reason they could think of, too. No other, no other…

Conrad drove me back to the hospital today. We all saw Selim. Seems so much smaller now, even from earlier when I was holding him in my hands. He's grown, though, the doctors say. Exponentially, he's a fighter, won't give up, and it's a miracle how well he's getting, maybe I can take him home earlier.

Looks like he's inherited both his father's and young Edward's fighting spirit.

August 7, 1915

Today I realized I hadn't thought about where they would bury King. What had been his state? Did he even have a body to bury?

I called the military, and they told me that they were already getting the funeral together. I did not get to help? Not even to plan my own husband's funeral? I had Conrad drive me to the military and I set them straight. Most like myself I've felt in awhile.

Couldn't see King's body, probably because they thought I was too faint of heart, but helped in planning. Design for the coffin, his favorite colors, who could speak… It was nice to be a part of it, and part of me died a little inside.

Never been more grateful for my brother. Cried into his shoulder when I got home.

August 8, 1915

Funeral is tomorrow. Saw Selim, said hi to my darling boy, went back to Conrad's house, stayed in room rest of day. Adelaide made tea for me, I could barely drink it.

A week since I lost him.

Word Count: 866 Words

A/N: I started writing this as Diary Entries for a FMA roleplay I'm a part of, and I thought "Hey, why not put this up on ?" It works as Fanfiction, after all, and though it'll likely come to gain aspects of the roleplay, once I have written up to November of 1916, which is the time that the roleplay is currently at, but it should be easily understood by those who aren't a part of it. There will be no standard update schedule for this one, and I'll just upload a chapter whenever I get around to writing a post for the roleplay. Oh, and if you want the link to the site, just say so in a review or drop a PM. C: