This is what brothers are for

The house was like a tomb. I was hiding in my room. As my brother made his way down the hall. I didn't want to say goodbye. I was trying to deny there was a war. He got the call. I watched him from my window. Walking down the drive. I ran down the stairs through the front door and I cried.

Three months after Jessica was born Jim got a phone call. His hands were shaking when he hung it up. It was the army. Jim had enlisted without telling Melinda to be an army doctor. Melinda came home from work. She gave Jim a hug, "Hey. How is everything here?"

Jim frowned, "Mel after Jessica is in bed; I want to talk to you and Aiden. Something big has come up."

Melinda nodded her head, "Honey are you ok?"

Jim sighed into his hands, "I'm fine. Melinda this just is going to be really hard to explain to my eight year old son. God I'm going to miss you so much…."

Melinda grabbed her husband's shoulders, "Jim what are you talking about? I know you said you applied for a new job last week. If it evolves traveling Aiden, Jessica and I will go with you. We are a family."

Jim cleared his head and fought back the lump in his throat, "Melinda the job I applied for was to be a military doctor. I got the call. I go over seas in a week. Mel I love you so much. I need you to be strong ok."

Melinda clutched Jim's hand, "No…. not you. Not you… oh God please not you."

Jim only nodded his head. That is when he heard the door to Aiden's room slam shut. Jessica started to cry from the noise. Melinda picked her daughter up and cradled her close. Jim heard a quiet sob from upstairs and said, "Mel I think I should go talk to Aiden."

Melinda didn't answer she just soothed her daughter. Jim went upstairs and knocked on Aiden's door. Aiden sniffled, "Come in."

Jim went into the room and sat on the end of the bed, "Aiden come here."

Aiden went into his father's lap and sobbed, "Why do you have to go?"

Jim kissed his son's hair, "Bud you know how in school you learned about the bill of rights? I have to go and give medical care to the soldiers protecting our rights. I know its hard for you to understand right now. I need you to stay here and take care of your mother and Jessica for me. Can you promise me that?"

Aiden sniffled, "Yes dad."

Jim kissed Aiden's hair and wiped away his tears, "That's my boy. Now get some sleep ok. I love you."

The day Jim was supposed to leave Melinda was crying in his arms holding Jessica. Jim held her close, "Mel, its going to be ok. I love you so much. I will be home before you know it. Do you know where Aiden is?"

Melinda sniffled, "He's in his room. He doesn't want to have to say goodbye. He thinks that if he doesn't say goodbye you won't really leave. As bad as it may sound; I wish with my whole heart he could be right. You should go before you miss your flight. Be safe."

Jim kissed every inch of her face, "That's my brave little solider. I love you. I just have to go grab a bag from my room. Where your wedding ring around your neck. When I come home I want to put it on your finger again. I love you."

Melinda went upstairs with her husband and took a gold chain out of her drawer. She put her ring on it and said, "Jim could you hook the clasp for me. I love you so much. Do you really have to go?"

Jim nodded, "I want to do my part to keep this country safe. I want Aiden and Jessica to grow up in a free country."

Melinda sat on the bed twirling her wedding ring in her hand, "You need to go. I'll tell Aiden how much you love him. Be strong, be brave, be safe, come home."

Jim was just about to get into the car when Aiden ran down the driveway. Tears were rolling down his cheeks. Jim pulled him into his arms, "Hey buddy. I'm going to miss you so much. I love you. I promise you can call me every night. You can write to me whenever you want. This isn't goodbye. This is see you later."

I said you come back you hear. I let him see my tears. I said I'll give you my rookie of DiMaggio. I'll do anything you want. Clean your room or wash your car. I'll do anything so long as you don't go. He said this is what brothers are for.

Aiden sniffled, "Dad please don't go. Would you stay if I gave you my baseball card? Would you stay if I cleaned my room or washed your car? I'll do anything."

Jim picked his son up and rubbed his back, "Bud I have to go. I love you. This is what dads are for."

Aiden nodded sadly, "I love you to dad. I have to be the man of the house now?"

Jim smiled at his son, "That's right bud. You have to tell your sister all about me. I'll be home before you know it."

Jim got into the cab just as Melinda came outside with Jessica and pulled Aiden into a tight hug. She and Aiden waved to Jim until they couldn't see the cab anymore. Aiden rested his head on his mother's chest, "Can we have some hot chocolate?"

Melinda put her chin on top of her son's head, "Sure baby."

That night when Melinda had gotten Aiden his hot chocolate she said, "Once you finish that its time for bed. I'll be up to tuck you in. I love you."

Melinda woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of Aiden screaming. She quickly went to her son's room and pulled him into her lap, "Aiden it was just a nightmare."

Aiden screamed, "Mom the shadows! The shiny people won't come see me anymore. Make the shadows go away mom."

Melinda sat down with her son in her lap, "Aiden who are the shadows?"

Aiden sniffed, "The parts of people who don't cross over. The shiny people are children. They are my friends mom. Help them please."

Melinda kissed her son's hair, "Aiden your friends need to cross over. Tell them to come talk to me. I love you. Go back to sleep."

I have my heroes. The one I love the most. Taught me to hunt and swing a bat. I wrote him every night. I said I miss our pillow fights. Lately I just wonder where you are at. Sometimes freedom makes it hard to live. When it takes things from you that you don't want to give. I said you come back you hear. I miss you being near. Laughing face down in the maple grove. I'll do anything you want. Is there someone I could call? Just maybe they would let you come back home. He wrote this is what brothers are for.

Jim had been gone for six months. Aiden wrote to him everyday. Melinda sat with Jessica on her lap and said, "Aiden remember dad can't tell us where he is. It's meant to keep him safe. Tell him we all miss him. Also tell him Jessica said her first word today. She said dada. She won't say momma though. I really don't know why."

Aiden laughed and wrote down what his mom said. Once he had put it in the mail box he said, "Mom I miss my pillow fights with dad. Dad said I have to be the man of the house. Why is it so hard?"

Melinda kissed her son's hair, "Baby sometimes doing the right thing is hard. Remember the good things you and your dad did together. The he won't seem so far away. I remember when he took you and I to Yellow stone national park. You both rolled down the hill like a log and landed face first. When I took the picture it blurred because you would not stop laughing."

Aiden saw his mother's eyes fill with tears, "Did I make you sad mom?"

Melinda shook her head, "No baby. Just something in my eyes. I miss your dad very much. Now into bed with you."

Melinda put Aiden to bed and then started writing a letter of her own to Jim. A single tear stained the paper. She sighed and brushed it away. Then as she was going through the mail she found a letter from him. She smiled and opened up the one addressed to her. The letter read, "Melinda, I miss you so much. I love you. I think about you everyday. How is Aiden doing? Have you seen any ghosts lately? I know I shouldn't ask but don't work the other doctors don't read my mail. Did Aiden make first basemen on little league? Things are pretty tough up here. I want you to know that I'm doing this for you and the kids. Tell Aiden I love him and I miss him. I will be home as soon as I can. Well I have a 5:00 am wake up call so I should get some sleep. Keep you chin up.

Love always , Jim"

Melinda fell asleep with the letter clutched to her chest. She snuggled Jim's pillow to her and slept with the telephone on Jim's side of the bed. That night she dreamt of Jim, Aiden, and Jessica all together as a family. She woke up and reached for Jim. Tears silently rolled down her cheeks when she realized she was alone. She went to her son's room and climbed on to the bed with him. Aiden stirred a little when his bed shifted, "Mom? Did you have a bad dream?"

Melinda nodded, "I think we both could use a forever snuggle."

Aiden gave his mom a hug, "I love you mom. Do you think dad is thinking about us?"

Melinda nodded, "I know he is. Go back to sleep. I love you to baby."

I may never have to face the anger of those guns. Or lie cold and wounded in my blood Or know the sacrifice of what it must have cost for him to love me that much. It had been two years. I held back my tears. I saw him in that wheel chair on the shore. I ran and held him tight. He looked me in the eyes. He said I'm sorry that you have to push me home. He said this is what brothers are for.

Two years later Melinda received a letter in the mail. Tears ran down her cheeks. Jim was wounded but he was coming home. Melinda woke Aiden, "Honey wake up. Your dad is coming home today."

Aiden asked in a quiet voice, "Mom why are you crying?"

Melinda wiped her eyes, "Honey your dad was hurt while trying to save a solider. He's in a wheel chair."

Aiden buried his face in his pillow. Melinda pulled her son into her arms, "Hush baby. Your dad loves you very much. Hush now baby. Get dressed. We need to go pick him up at the docks."

Aiden sniffled and blinked back tears. He got dressed and then went into the car. The second the car was put in park Aiden ran into Jim's arms. Jim smiled sadly, "Hey buddy. Can you throw a knuckle ball yet? I missed you so much."

Aiden took a deep breath trying not to cry in front of his dad. Jim saw this and lifted his son's chin up so he had to look at him, "I'm sorry bud. I'm sorry you have to push me home."

Aiden climbed into his dad's lap, "Dad didn't you tell me that this country was a family? You did what a big brother is supposed to do. Thank you dad. I love you. Melinda then came walking slowly up the walk way, "Jim!"

Jim set Aiden down and embraced his wife, "I'm here Mel. God I missed you. Jessica has gotten so big. Can I hold her?"

Melinda nodded, "Of course you can. Aiden stand next to your dad. I want to get a picture of the three of you together. Then we can go home."