lyrics included in this chapter: "to where you are" by Josh Groban
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When the mail came a few days later, Race was disheartened to find that he had received no word from Katie. After dinner, as the other guys read their letters from home, he slipped off by himself, contemplating what could possibly have kept his wife from sending a letter. A sad smile crept across his face, but it soon faded into a worried frown.
Who can say for certain- maybe you're still here I feel you all around me- your memory's so clear Deep in the stillness I can hear you speak You're still an inspiration
"What happened? Is she all right? What about the baby?" Thoughts of Katie clouded his mind. He didn't notice when Jack sat down next to him.
"Race. . ."
"Huh? Oh. . . hi Jack. . ." he sighed heavily and stood up, not wanting Jack to see how distraught he truly was. He was supposed to be focused on their impending mission but could think of nothing but home.
"Race. . . I want ya to meet someone. This is Bryan Denton." Denton stepped forward, extending his hand.
"Anthony Higgins. . . known to some as Racetrack," he responded.
"Pleased to meet you. . ."
"I'm doing a special story on the families of Captain Kelly and those closest to him- I understand you're quite a close knit group." Denton explained genuinely.
Race nodded. "How can I help?" he asked.
"If it isn't too painful, could you please tell me about your family back home?" the reporter probed, trying not to be too invasive.
"Denton Race has work to do. . . please don't take too much of his time." Jack said simply, walking away to give the two some sort of privacy.
"What would you like to know, Denton?" Race sat down once more.
"Tell me anything. . ." he answered.
"Well, I have a wife at home. . . Katie. . . we'd only been married about a year. She was pregnant when I left. Due a few weeks ago." Denton nodded. Race's mind was wandering once again.
Can it be that you are my forever love and you are watching over me from up above?
"Have you spoken with her since leaving?" Race shook his head.
"We don't have time or the resources to call from out here. . . Jack can. . . not us though." He shrugged.
"Would you like to?" Denton asked.
"What?!" Race snapped.
"Would you like to call home?" he inquired once more. Race nodded, completely shocked.
"How?" Denton passed him his phone. Race simply stared at it, dumbfounded. "Are you sure about this?"
"Absolutely. . ." Race thanked him and began to dial his home phone number. His fingers fumbled over the buttons shakily.
Fly me up to where you are beyond the distant star I wish upon tonight to see you smile if only for a while to know you're there a breath away's not far to where you are
~*~
At five AM, Katie paced around her small, dark bedroom, holding her tiny baby, Lily, against her chest. "It's okay. . . shhhhh. . . " the baby was sputtering and crying. Katie patted her back gently. Finally she closed her eyes. After putting Rose back to bed, Katie said a quick prayer for Race and slid back under her sheets. Her dreams were fitful- full of visions of the man she so adored either being mortally wounded or dying in combat. She awoke many times, shaking and having to force herself to realize that he was fine and that nothing was wrong. She had to believe in Race and the other soldiers- that they would protect each other and return safely.
I can't be sleeping here inside my dream and isn't faith believing all powers can't be seen
Having stayed up all night tending to Lily, Katie slept quite late. When she finally did rise, it was nearly one in the afternoon.
The phone rang, breaking the serene silence.
"Hello?"
"Katie. . . cara mia. . ."
"RACE?!" Katie's heart skipped a beat. She had to be dreaming.
"Yes. . . yes it's me. . ." he said, hardly believing that his wife was on the other end of the line. "Are you alright?"
"Yes- I- oh god..." she sat down on the bed, suddenly feeling weak kneed.
"Katie?! What's wrong? Is it the baby?"
"Nothing- the baby! Oh Race she's beautiful. Lily Higgins. She has your eyes." She sighed.
As my heart holds you just one beat away I cherish all you gave me every day
"Lily. . ." he said softly. "Send me a picture? I'm so relieved, honey I was so worried."
"I can't stop thinking about you..."
"Katie. . . I don't have much more time. . ." his voice cracked. "Stay strong, ya hear me? Whatever happens. I'll be home. Soon."
"Race. . . please be careful. . . I had a dream-"
"Baby, I have to go. . . I love you. . ."
"Race please! Don't go! I LOVE YOU!" she pleaded.
Cause you are my forever love and you are watching me from up above And I believe that angels breathe and that love will live on and never leave
Katie put down the phone, in numb disbelief. She checked on the baby, staring down at her tiny brown eyed angel. Lily smiled up at her mother. Tears cascaded down Katie's cheeks. "She has his smile. . . " she thought, a sad grin creeping across her face. "At least he's safe..."
Fly me up to where you are beyond the distant star I wish upon tonight to see you smile if only for a while to know you're there A breath away's not far to where you are
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When the mail came a few days later, Race was disheartened to find that he had received no word from Katie. After dinner, as the other guys read their letters from home, he slipped off by himself, contemplating what could possibly have kept his wife from sending a letter. A sad smile crept across his face, but it soon faded into a worried frown.
Who can say for certain- maybe you're still here I feel you all around me- your memory's so clear Deep in the stillness I can hear you speak You're still an inspiration
"What happened? Is she all right? What about the baby?" Thoughts of Katie clouded his mind. He didn't notice when Jack sat down next to him.
"Race. . ."
"Huh? Oh. . . hi Jack. . ." he sighed heavily and stood up, not wanting Jack to see how distraught he truly was. He was supposed to be focused on their impending mission but could think of nothing but home.
"Race. . . I want ya to meet someone. This is Bryan Denton." Denton stepped forward, extending his hand.
"Anthony Higgins. . . known to some as Racetrack," he responded.
"Pleased to meet you. . ."
"I'm doing a special story on the families of Captain Kelly and those closest to him- I understand you're quite a close knit group." Denton explained genuinely.
Race nodded. "How can I help?" he asked.
"If it isn't too painful, could you please tell me about your family back home?" the reporter probed, trying not to be too invasive.
"Denton Race has work to do. . . please don't take too much of his time." Jack said simply, walking away to give the two some sort of privacy.
"What would you like to know, Denton?" Race sat down once more.
"Tell me anything. . ." he answered.
"Well, I have a wife at home. . . Katie. . . we'd only been married about a year. She was pregnant when I left. Due a few weeks ago." Denton nodded. Race's mind was wandering once again.
Can it be that you are my forever love and you are watching over me from up above?
"Have you spoken with her since leaving?" Race shook his head.
"We don't have time or the resources to call from out here. . . Jack can. . . not us though." He shrugged.
"Would you like to?" Denton asked.
"What?!" Race snapped.
"Would you like to call home?" he inquired once more. Race nodded, completely shocked.
"How?" Denton passed him his phone. Race simply stared at it, dumbfounded. "Are you sure about this?"
"Absolutely. . ." Race thanked him and began to dial his home phone number. His fingers fumbled over the buttons shakily.
Fly me up to where you are beyond the distant star I wish upon tonight to see you smile if only for a while to know you're there a breath away's not far to where you are
~*~
At five AM, Katie paced around her small, dark bedroom, holding her tiny baby, Lily, against her chest. "It's okay. . . shhhhh. . . " the baby was sputtering and crying. Katie patted her back gently. Finally she closed her eyes. After putting Rose back to bed, Katie said a quick prayer for Race and slid back under her sheets. Her dreams were fitful- full of visions of the man she so adored either being mortally wounded or dying in combat. She awoke many times, shaking and having to force herself to realize that he was fine and that nothing was wrong. She had to believe in Race and the other soldiers- that they would protect each other and return safely.
I can't be sleeping here inside my dream and isn't faith believing all powers can't be seen
Having stayed up all night tending to Lily, Katie slept quite late. When she finally did rise, it was nearly one in the afternoon.
The phone rang, breaking the serene silence.
"Hello?"
"Katie. . . cara mia. . ."
"RACE?!" Katie's heart skipped a beat. She had to be dreaming.
"Yes. . . yes it's me. . ." he said, hardly believing that his wife was on the other end of the line. "Are you alright?"
"Yes- I- oh god..." she sat down on the bed, suddenly feeling weak kneed.
"Katie?! What's wrong? Is it the baby?"
"Nothing- the baby! Oh Race she's beautiful. Lily Higgins. She has your eyes." She sighed.
As my heart holds you just one beat away I cherish all you gave me every day
"Lily. . ." he said softly. "Send me a picture? I'm so relieved, honey I was so worried."
"I can't stop thinking about you..."
"Katie. . . I don't have much more time. . ." his voice cracked. "Stay strong, ya hear me? Whatever happens. I'll be home. Soon."
"Race. . . please be careful. . . I had a dream-"
"Baby, I have to go. . . I love you. . ."
"Race please! Don't go! I LOVE YOU!" she pleaded.
Cause you are my forever love and you are watching me from up above And I believe that angels breathe and that love will live on and never leave
Katie put down the phone, in numb disbelief. She checked on the baby, staring down at her tiny brown eyed angel. Lily smiled up at her mother. Tears cascaded down Katie's cheeks. "She has his smile. . . " she thought, a sad grin creeping across her face. "At least he's safe..."
Fly me up to where you are beyond the distant star I wish upon tonight to see you smile if only for a while to know you're there A breath away's not far to where you are