Small Reminders

by lvtwilight09

As a career Marine, Bella has been sent away on a long term deployment. How do she and Edward handle the separation and all that comes with it when her promise to return home to him becomes a promise she may not be able to keep?

25. Chapter 25

EPOV

BANG BANG BANG

BANG BANG BANG

"Edward! Open the goddamn door!"

The shouting startles me awake.

The ache in my neck tells me I fell asleep on the couch watching the news channels again.

Glancing at the clock I can see it's four in the morning and I'm confused about who'd be at my house this early.

BANG BANG BANG

I open the door with bleary eyes and find Emmett standing there.

My heart instantly drops into the pit of my stomach.

There is only one why he'd be here at this time of day.

Emmett, or Major McCarty as he's known in the Marines was assigned as the liaison for the families of the Marines listed as MIA in Bella's battalion.

We became close and developed a friendship once we realized his son Henry and Olivia went to the same preschool.

My mind starts racing…the only reason Emmett would be here would be because they've found you.

The only thing is…have they found you alive, or dead?

I can't help but think of the worst.

How am I supposed to tell Olivia that her mother is gone, is never coming home?

How am I supposed to pull myself together and move forward and be the father my daughter needs and deserves.

As hard as it's been, up until now, I've always firmly gripped to that small sliver of hope that you'd be coming home alive, and now…now I don't know if I can handle hearing the truth if the truth means you're coming home in a box.

I don't even realize that I've sunken to the floor and am sobbing until Emmett shakes me, pulling my attention back to him.

"Edward," he says. "It's gonna be okay man…they found her. They found Bella…she's alive."