Two months later,

"Richard please tell me!"

"Why do you want to know? Don't you trust me?"

"No. No Richard I don't . I don't know where you are half of the time! You act secretly all of the time and never tell me anything anymore! Where do you go?"

Steve called from across the street, "Jackie!"

"Yeah, give me a second!"

"Go home," Richard said in a stern voice.

"Not until you tell me. Is Steve in on this?"

"Yes, but don't torture him about it. This is between you and me. Now go home Jackie," and with that he turned and stalked off.

There was something about the way he walks now. Then it struck me. He walks like a soldier! It can't be, I told myself. He promised me. He's probably right anyway. I am overreacting. Obviously.

Mom knocked on the door, "Jackie?"

"Come in"

"Richard's downstairs"

"He is?" I jumped up and headed for the door.

"Jackie"

"What?" I turned to face her.

"Just promise me you won't overreact."

He's going to propose? "I won't!" I dashed down the stairs to the sitting room.

I cracked open the door to the sitting room, heart pounding in my chest. Then I caught a glimpse of a stranger looking out the front window. I quickly flung the door wide open. The man slowly turned around. I gasped. There was Richard dressed as a sergeant.

"Hi," he smiled apologetically.

I stuttered, "H…hi? What are you playing dress up or something?"

"No, Jackie, this is me now. I enlisted as a Sergeant Richard James Barnes for the U.S. Army."

"But…but you promised!"

"I know…"

"You've never lied to me before! How dare you! What makes you think you can do that?"

"I feel called to…"

"To get yourself killed? What about my father, my brother? What about your father?"

"Jackie…"

"I trusted you!"

He took a step to embrace me, "I know…"

I took a step back, "Don't. Just don't."

"Jackie, please. Don't do this."

"Don't do this? You're kidding me right?"

I stopped because his jaw was twitching, something he only did when he was about to do something stupid (like jump off of his house when he was fifteen in order to prove he would never break a bone). "I get on the train tomorrow," he looked at the ground.

"'Get on the train' as in going off to war?" I asked shakily.

"Yes"

Tears escaped down my cheeks, "Well, don't expect me to say 'Goodbye I love you' or something like that." And I ran from the room and the entire house.

"You should at least say goodbye at the train station tomorrow," Mom broke the silence over dinner that night.

"I know and I will. I'm just making him think that I'm not."

"That's being stubborn Jackie."

Suddenly Steve spoke up, "I don't see why you would hate him for being a brave soldier in the war."

Sometimes it was really annoying to be dating your brother's best friend. They were always making excuses for each other it seems.

"Your sister just likes to be a strong and independent young woman."

"What happened to girls being proud of men going off to war?" Steve mumbled under his breath.

"I didn't say that I'm not proud of him being a sergeant for the U.S. Army! I'm just not proud of him breaking his promise to me."

"Men aren't perfect. We all make mistakes!"

"I know that!"

"Enough!" Mom stood up a stern look on her face. "We've all been through enough without you two going at each other's throats. Steve, your sister needs you right now because her boyfriend is going off to war. And Jackie, your brother's best friend is going off to war. He's not just your boyfriend. And I need you both to keep what remains of this family from falling apart."

"Yes ma'am," we both shared a glare across the table.

"Richard! Richard Barnes!" I ran towards the back of someone I knew was Richard, boarding the train. Please don't leave when we're on bad terms. I wouldn't be able to live with myself. "Sergeant Richard Barnes!"

He turned and scanned the boardwalk. Then he focused on me. When I finally reached him, I flung myself into his arms.

"I'm so sorry Jackie. I'm so sorry," he whispered into my hair.

I pulled back, "No, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for overreacting like that."

"You were angry. That's understandable."

"It's no excuse for making you think that I would never forgive you. Because I do Richard. I do forgive you."

"I'm going to miss you so, so much."

I smiled, "I'm going to miss you too. I love Richard."

"I love you too."

It was the first time that we told each other how we truly felt about the other. My heart warmed when I heard his response.

Then he started to lean in. My heart was pounding so loud that I was sure he could hear it. Then we kissed. It was a deep kiss that seemed to last forever. I breathed in his scent wanting to remember this moment forever.

The train hooted and he pulled away reluctantly. "Goodbye Jackie."

"Goodbye Richard."

I watched him board the train and the train fled from my sight.