"You want me to do what?" It was the night before he left for the Academy and he had just handed her a pair of hair clippers.

"Shave my head, or at least pretty close. It's part of the dress code."

He sat down in the chair in his kitchenette in the basement, his back toward her.

"But I love your hair," she told him, running her hands through it.

"It will grow back."

"I can't believe you aren't nervous. The hair, the whole thing. It sounds like boot camp."

"How do you know?"

"I googled it."

"You did?"

"I won't be able to see you for six months. I at least wanted to know what it was going to be like for you."

He could hear it in her voice. "And now you're worried."

"Yes." He grabbed her hand and pulled her over to his lap. "I can't help it."

"I love that you googled it." He rested his forehead against her temple and sighed, already missing the amazing woman he held. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"Good, now will you please shave my head?"

She laughed, kissed him, and then ran the clippers down the middle of his scalp, giving him a reverse Mohawk. That made her giggle so hard she needed to stop for a moment. "Sorry, ok. I can do this." A few minutes later, it was done. "Hm."

"Hm, what?" he asked.

"You actually look pretty hot." He smiled and pulled her back to his lap.

"Hot?"

"Yeah. I'm imagining you in your uniform and hat. Good heavens." He quirked his eyebrow at her.

He stood up, so of course she did too. He took off his shirt and shook it, to get the hair out of it. "We'll sweep later. Let's go for a swim."

…

Jack dove under the water, Beth right behind him. It was their last swim for at least six months. Their last night together. Later, their last goodbyes.

He popped up right in front of her, making her laugh. She reached out and held on to his shoulders, wrapping her legs around his waist.

They didn't need to speak. They just stared at each other and held each other until their skin was all wrinkled.

"I need to get to bed, Beth. Four thirty in the morning comes very fast."

She nodded but didn't attempt to unwrap herself from him. So he swam to the shore and then set her down in the sand. "No, please. Jack, not yet." She was basically begging and she hated doing it but she wasn't ready.

He sent a text to his mom to let her know they were going to sleep in the hammock. Then he took her inside, gave her a pair of shorts and a t-shirt to sleep in and grabbed a blanket before they headed out to the hammock.

It was still quite warm but they laid with the blanket underneath them and ready to be wrapped around them if necessary.

She texted Julie to let her know where she was and then put her head on Jack's chest, right under his chin. "I love you," she whispered, kissing his chest.

"I love you." He stroked her hair and her arm, feeling her relax finally. Then he set the alarm on his phone to wake him up in four hours.

….

"Jack….Jack..babe. You need to get up."

"It's dark." He kissed her forehead and wrapped his arms around her soft warm body. This was heaven.

"Its four am and your phone is going off." Nope, just the hammock.

"Already?"

"Yeah." He reached for his phone but it had fallen on the ground. He attempted to grab it but being half awake, he wasn't coordinated enough so they both ended up on the sand, laughing.

"Coffee is on," Charlotte yelled out the sliding door, way peppier than either of them felt.

"How does she do that?" Beth asked, still sitting on the ground.

"She's always been that way. You get used to it. Kind of." He stood, offering his hand. "Let's go get some coffee."

"You don't drink coffee."

"I don't think tea is going to cut it."

The family sat eating a healthy breakfast, eggs, oatmeal, and fruit. Beth just sat next to him, holding his hand, her head on his shoulder.

Ten minutes later, Jack ran downstairs to shower and grab his bags.

"You okay, dear?" Charlotte asked Beth, seeing her sadness.

"Sure. I mean, I'm so proud of him," her voice trailing off.

"It's going to go so fast. Wedding plans and school."

Beth wiped her cheeks and sipped her coffee.

About five minutes before they needed to leave, Jack came upstairs. "Ma, Dad, can we get a minute?"

They left him and Beth alone. "Ok, it's time, babe."

She walked into his arms and held tight, memorizing every detail. How strong and yet loving his hold on her was. How clean and spicy his aftershave smelled. How soft his lips were on her forehead and cheek.

She wouldn't ask him to stay but she wanted him to. So much. He touched her cheek and then leaned down to kiss her. "I love you. I will talk to you on Saturday night, okay? That will be our time. Nothing will get in the way."

She nodded and then kissed him back, memorizing the taste of his minty breath and the scent of his soap. "I love you," she whispered as he left her standing there.

Beth went downstairs a few minutes later and crawled into Jack's bed, wanting to feel him close. His pillow smelled like him so she took a few deep breaths and fell asleep.

….

In the car, it was quiet. Jack wasn't speaking, he was thinking about the Academy and resolving to work as hard as he could, wanting to make a good name for himself with the LAPD. Then he thought about Beth and how much he would miss her over the next six months. He had inquired about contact with family and holidays and he would be able to call her on the weekend but he couldn't go home until he graduated. Skype was going to be their best friend until December.

He pulled out his phone and texted her. "Hey."

He didn't get a response right away, so he looked at his pictures on his phone. There were quite a few pictures of the two of them and one that he didn't remember taking. She was sitting in her room on her bed with a handwritten sign that said, "I miss you so much." How she used his phone to take it, he didn't know, but it made him smile and feel sad at the same time.

The next picture said, "I love you with all of my heart." The third said, "Check your suitcase, outside pocket." He reached over and opened the zippered pocket. There was a little velvet bag and a card inside. He opened it and smiled. It was a very thin gold chain with her wedding ring on it. He immediately fastened it around his neck and then read her card.

"Honey,

I thought you might want to wear my wedding ring around your neck so that you have a piece of me with you while you are away. I am doing the same with yours.

I miss you so much but I take comfort that I will be your wife shortly after you return.

I love you,

Beth

He took a picture of himself with the ring around his neck and sent it to her. Then he texted her.

"Thank u for your gift. I will treasure it just like I treasure u."

She responded this time. "Are u turning sentimental on me?"

"Believe me, babe. I always was, I just never let myself say the words until u."

"Its probably the sweetest thing u have ever said 2 me."

"I can beat that!"

"Lol. I miss u."

"I miss u 2. Good thing is, Saturday is only 4 days away."

"Maybe I should have hid in your suitcase so I could b with u."

"I think I would have noticed."

"Where r u?"

"About an hour outside LA."

"I can't believe that in 2 months I'm going 2 b so close 2 u but I won't b able 2 see u."

"I know."

They didn't text for a minute and then his phone rang. "Hey."

"Jack, I am so proud of you and I love you so much."

"That means everything, babe." His eyes filled with tears. "Thank you."

….

Beth couldn't spend too much time missing him for the next few days. She had wedding plans to make.

They went to the bakery that Grace suggested and they confirmed they needed at least a few months to fulfill their order. So Beth went cake taste testing with Julie, Grace, and Charlotte. Beth knew that Jack wanted white chocolate incorporated in some way.

The four of them sat at a round table as they waited for the cake samples to be brought out.

"Hey, Beth. You doing ok?" Julie whispered.

"Yeah. It feels weird doing this without him." A part of her was missing when he wasn't around. She knew she would need to get used to it because she would be making a lot more decisions alone for the next six months.

"Why not take a few pictures? Whatever plans you make or whatever you do, take a picture or two and then on Saturdays when you talk to him, send them and talk about it. It will be like he was a part of it."

"Great idea." Beth immediately took a selfie of herself and Julie and then a picture of her mom and Charlotte and then a few of the two flavors they chose, white chocolate with raspberry filling, and her cake, red velvet with cream cheese frosting.

It did make her feel better knowing he would see what she was doing for them. Next, they decided to go see if they could find a maid of honor dress for Julie and mother of the bride and groom for Grace and Charlotte.

After finding only a dress for Julie, they headed back to the lake house for dinner. Tom and William were barbecuing.

"Mom, I don't think I have ever seen Dad so relaxed," Beth told her. He was sitting at the patio table, a beer in his hand, a smile on his face.

"He's happy. You have made him very proud, dear, along with Julie and Viola of course. Things are going well at the firm. He and Tom have been spending time together a few nights a week and so they are becoming good friends."

"Dad and Tom? That's great."

"Yes, it has been good for him." William had been concentrating on his job for so long, working long hours, and not taking vacations. A little reprieve to spend time with family and friends would definitely be a good thing.

…

The next day was Saturday. Beth decided that after dinner she was going to hide out in her room and wait for his call. She was so excited. She missed his voice. Well, she missed everything about him.

She made sure she was comfortable on her bed and ready to talk as long as he could. Finally at 8:00 on the nose, her skype notification rang. She answered it and almost cried when she saw him. "Hey," he said, smiling huge.

"Hey, yourself." She wished she could reach right through the phone and kiss those adorable dimples of his.

"How are you?" he wondered.

"I miss you but I'm fine. Did you get the pictures I sent you?"

"I did."

"Good. How are you? You look tired."

"I am. This isn't easy here."

"You knew it would be hard, right? You're so capable of getting through it."

"Sometimes I wonder."

"Honey, listen to me. This is your dream. You have worked so hard for this. Don't give up."

"I won't, I promise. Thank you for believing in me." She always had believed in him, even when he didn't believe in himself and that meant the world.

"That's my job as your best friend and fiancé and as your wife. I will always believe in you." She could see him tearing up and that hurt her heart. "Guess what," she said, trying to cheer him up.

"What's that?"

"Our dads are becoming pretty good friends."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yep. They even went out for dinner the other night, just the two of them."

"That's great."

"Yeah and my dad told me last night that the two of them are paying for our honeymoon. Jack, they got us a suite at Stowe Lodge in Vermont. They showed me pictures. It's gorgeous."

"That's amazing! I cannot wait."

"Me either."

They talked for another half hour and then Jack realized what time it was. "Babe, I have ten minutes left before lights out. I need to call my parents."

"Ok. It was so good to see you, Jack."

"I feel the same way. Just thinking about seeing your gorgeous face has kept me going these last few days."

"I love you."

"I love you more, Beth. Talk to you next week, ok?"

"I will be here."