II: Germany, 1942
Second Lieutenant Adam Molyneaux, United States Army finally understood why it was called the Black Forest. The trees were so thick and menacing, it was easy to understand where the stories of the haunted wood came from. At night his men swore they could see things moving in the darkness. Most of the time Adam took them seriously and other times told them they were being superstitious idiots. But on clear nights, Adam would breathe deeply and for a moment he was back by the sea, by the sea in France. So long as he could have a moments peace, he would always be there. There by the sea with her, his cher. His Belle.
Had it really only been a few months? It seemed like a lifetime ago. Adam, a Tulane boy, had joined the army the moment he graduated. They made him an officer and gave him a squad to assist in the intelligence gathering deep in the heart of occupied France. His unit had been attacked and all but he had been killed. He suffered only a simple shoulder wound, but the ensuing fever, hallucinations, and pain made him the worst patient in the hospital. No matter how he yelled, railed, and was an all around jackass, the floor nurse gave it right back to him. She would make him wait his turn, make him say please and thank you. Never once did Belle duMaurice allow his behavior dictate his treatment. Once he was kind, he found that he loved being around Belle. He loved the sound of her voice as she hummed while she was checking each man. The way she told stories from memory, held the hands of the boys who were dying, never taking her soft brown eyes from them.
He found her when he was walking, regaining strength, hidden in a corner, weeping softly. The men had brought in orphans from a nearby village, their homes destroyed by the Axis powers. A little boy, no more than eight had been badly burned in the chaos. Belle did all she could with the surgeons to save the boy but it was too late. There was nothing could be done except hold his hand and help him dream of a better place than a battlefield hospital. Her facade had cracked and for the first time, Adam saw the girl in Belle. He held her as she cried.
The first letter he got from her was full of despair and longing for the conflict to end. The next arrived just days later and it was much lighter. Full of hope and promise of what life would be like once the war was over.
July 24th, 1942
My Dearest Adam,
Please ignore my last letter. it had been a very long day and I never should have sent it. I miss you so very much and I long for this war to end so that we can begin. Not be spread across the world like two wandering souls. I long to have a place where we can grow old together. Be it here in France or in America with you. At night I dream of you. I dream of the life we can have together. Away from war and despair. Away from blood and tears and death. I dreamt of a large home in a small town, where everything is like the day before. Where nothing unexpected ever happens.
We are getting orders to move the hospital. I do not know where we will be going or if I will ever get another letter from you. In case this is the last time I will be able to get a message to you, my dearest Adam, I love you. You are my everything. Find me. When all this nonsense has ended, find me. Find me and take me to the village where everything and every day is the same. Find me, Lieutenant. That's an order.
Yours always,
Belle
If it took the rest of his life, Adam would never stop writing to Belle and never stop searching for her. She was his enchanting rose. His reason for pushing onward.