Dear God, let this be just a bad nightmare
"Adele." He crooned as his fingers caressed her smooth face.
Adele's eyes flew open rapidly, and she could hear her own hurried breathing.
"John-Paul." She whispered back as she felt her dress straps sliding off her shoulders.
"I'm talking to your father tonight, I can't wait for you anymore."
Adele shrugged off his embrace, "No, John-Paul, we aren't getting married. You're going to fight on the front. You won't speak of
it to Papa."
"Just because I'm going doesn't mean you can't pledge yourself to me."
Adele said nothing, but tried to kiss him deeply to evade the statement.
John-Paul drew away from her, "Adele I need to know you'll be here for me."
Adele snapped back around and cut her stormy blue eyes to him. "Pauli, I need to know if you'll be here for me!"
He sighed exasperatedly, "You know I'll come home."
Adele closed her eyes and sighed. "We can't be together right now Pauli. We cannot, it's impossible and impractical."
"That's what love is- impossible, impractical."
"Then love is stupid, and I cannot love you right now."
"You promised me…"
"Things happen. Things get interrupted. Things get postponed."
John-Paul shot her an icy glare. "And what exactly happened Adele?"
She returned his chilling stare. "This war John-Paul. This stupid war, that you demand you must fight in."
"For France?" He asked in surprise. "I must fight for France! I must fight so that our liberty is not taken. Adele, I am fighting for you."
She sized up his earnestly looking him up and down. "If you wanted to fight for me, you wouldn't fight at all. You'd help me pay off the farm's rent instead of run off to shoot Germans.
He glowered at her. "Adele, after much longer you won't have a farm."
She shot him unnerving glance, and flashed her blue eyes up to meet his. "After much longer I won't have you."
He scoffed and turned to go back into the house. "So what is your verdict?"
She sighed and looked at him firmly. "Not now John-Paul… Not now…"
He examined her resigned face intently, but found no hint of doubt etched across her stoic features.
"I love you Adele." He whispered as he turned once again to leave.
"I love you John-Paul."
"Not enough…" He muttered curtly.
She shook her head, and ran her hands through her golden hair, but before she could speak he cut her off.
"This is the last time you will ever see me." He promised forlornly, as he stepped into the house.
When Adele had the courage to follow him, he was gone.
She could feel the sweat on her forehead, and she could feel her pulse pounding in her temples.
"Dieu damn cauchemar." She whispered, bringing her hand to press against her throbbing head.
A nurse walked by and stopped to look at Adele. "Are you alright?" She asked in her crisp British accent.
Adele nodded. "I'm fine. Thank you."
The woman walked on, and Adele watched her go.
"God help me." Adele whispered to herself.
Adele covered her face with the pillow and tried to sleep.