It's not like we were new

I've known him since the second grade

we were best friends from the moment we met

all the same it seemed to the biggest news in our tiny town

that we had finally gotten together.

I loved that man with all my heart and soul.

And He loved me with the same.

So it surprised no one when he knelt on one knee at my high school graduation.

I love him so much and my heart filled with the greatest joy and pride imaginable

when our small town pastor introduced us as Mr. and his Mrs.

He brought me home to our new little house

A pretty little two story two towns over.

He would go to work everyday and I would man the house.

Everyone told me he would lose his touch once we were married,

that the romance would fizzle out to be replaced by the boring day to day.

But I saw none of that in my man.

Everyday he would bring home a flower and slide it behind my ear

gently kiss my lips and tell me

"I missed you my dear"

On Friday nights he would come home with a whole bouquet

sometimes he took me out, but usually we never made it that far.

Passion burned bright and vibrant in his soul,

passion that every day he shared with me.

I never once doubted my husband

until the day I found out we were going to have a baby

Though he had never done anything to prove my fears true

I was terrified to tell him

to ruin the life we had going for us

to see his disappointment

But when finally I told him his eyes lit up

he spun me around the room sweetly kissing my lips and saying "I love you."

Our first was a boy

Our second and third were girls

and my man my husband my mr. was the world to them.

And they had them wrapped around their tiny little pinky fingers.

I loved my amazing husband and our beautiful kids

and even as I grew and grew having our children and starting over,

even as our nights were filled crying and our bed filled with kids the passion in my husband's heart never once did dim.

Still everyday he still brought me a flower

Tucked it behind my ear and said

"I love you my dear"

And every Friday night he'd bring me a whole bouquet dive the kids to his

Who with a giggle sent us home.

Then the day came,

I almost didn't notice if it weren't for the lack of flower in my vase

We struggled greatly as all families did

I think I should thank my lucky stars I kept my house and kids.

I had heard those horrible stories of parents unable to take care of their children

putting them up for adoption in hopes that they would at least get to eat.

My husband headed out to find some sort of job, My parents and his had to move on in and I would leave the kids with them as I left to work myself.

Even as the days grew gray and the world fell to a depression my My loving working Mr. never lost his passion

everyday on the way home from whatever job he found that day he'd pick a pretty flower tuck it behind my ear and whisper to me

"I missed you my dear."

By the time work finally picked up

And me and my husband got good jobs

My oldest was only three and not one of my babies could figure out why daddy had to leave.

But I know why he left

He left to protect our country

He left to save some lives

and never once did it cross his mind

That he'd leave us here and die

My husband never lost his passion not till his very last day,

I could feel it

In my bones

Long before the army car pulled up in front of my house

I knew my husband was never coming home

They saluted me like a hero and gave me his last letter home

There were other things too but I couldn't care

Tears drenched my weeping face as I read just what he wrote to me

He wrote:

"My beautiful my love my wife everything's gonna be just fine,

I know you might feel lost baby but I still see your fight.

I have loved a damn strong woman from the second grade.

I loved her till I made her my bride

and I'll love her long after the day I died.

I love a beautiful women with eyes that shine like stars

but even those brilliant stars can never compare to her heart and soul that shine a brilliant, blinding gold.

Because my wife,

so beautiful and strong

loves

She loves with everything she's got.

And works for what she wants till her body just stops.

She has so much passion red and vibrant

and from the day I met her I knew I could never be without her.

I married my best friend

I'd known since second grade that I would.

And after that I went out and found work.

I would work all day everyday.

It drove me crazy I hated that job and the people I worked with.

But everyday I'd come back home to her heart of solid gold,

she would give me one of her sunshine smiles and I knew that everything would be okay.

Together we had three beautiful kids my baby girls and our handsome little boy

whom my amazing wife raised all alone since I was never home.

Together we went through the worst of times

and together we made it through.

Even as our whole life burned to the ground around her,

she simply rose from the ashes,

rolled up her sleeves

and smiled

as the world's challenge fell at her feet.

My beautiful wife stayed home while I went off to war.

I'll love her and praise her forever even now that I'm dead.

She is my goddess my inspiration my soulmate.

Some kid over here once asked me how it is I could get up everyday and smile.

Even as we faced such horror.

I told him about my wife back home,

how she has my heart and how she gave me hers.

I told him that it is her love for me that gets me through.

And how all I can think of is all the love I still have for you "

Underneath he drew a flower

A beautiful white rose

Done in the same charcoal pencil that the rest of the letter is in.

beneath it he wrote

A phrase they both knew will

She could almost feel him tucking that precious flower behind her ear

And saying to her

"I missed you my dear"