After he had finished eating his lunch and she had clocked out, they walked down to the pier. She led him to the end of the dock and sat down, taking off her shoes and letting her bare feet dangle over the edge. She patted the spot next to her and looked up at him, holding her hand to her forehead to shield out the blinding sunlight. He sat down cross legged, resting his book in his lap, and looked out at the blue horizon, almost hypnotized by the ripples in the water. In Vietnam, he knew he wouldn't see anything like that. As he sat lost in his own thoughts, Sara looked down at the book.
"Entomology?" she asked, tilting her head to the side. Gil smiled.
"It's the study of insects." he answered sheepishly. He wondered if she was going to think he was boring for reading an entomology textbook.
"That's cool." she said, picking up the book and beginning to flip through the pages. She frowned and opened her mouth a little.
"You know, you don't seem like the kind of guy that would sign up for the army." she said in a confused, but almost accusatory tone. He smiled sadly.
"I'm not. I was drafted." he said. She nodded in understanding and looked down at the water beneath them.
"For how long are you leaving?" she asked.
"Two to four years." he answered, "I'm not exactly sure." Sara laid back on the dock, staring at the sky.
"What are you going to do when you get back?" she asked, placing her hands under her head. He shrugged.
"I was planning on becoming an entomologist." he said, "I wanted to do it now, but I guess I'll just have to wait until I get back." She closed her eyes.
"Yeah." she said in barely a whisper. She moved one of her hands to rest on her stomach. She thought of all the soldiers that had died because of this war, how many families had been left behind, how many wives had become widows. She wondered what the chances were that Gil would make it back safely to fulfill his dream. He sighed as he saw the concern etched in her face. He slid his hand on top of hers and she opened her eyes in surprise.
"Look, Sara. I bet you've got a boyfriend, but I don't care. I've got no one to send a letter to." he looked her deep in the eyes as he spoke, "Would you mind if I sent one back here to you?"
Her eyes lit up and she nervously fumbled with the bow in her hair.
"I'd like that" she said, as she chewed on her bottom lip and crossed her ankles. He smiled and entwined his fingers between hers. He glanced at his watch; half an hour until the bus was supposed to come. He pulled a small black notebook and a pen from his backpack and handed it to her. She wrote down her name and address, then handed it back to him. He read it. Sara Sidle. He put his hand around her waist.
"I've got to start heading back to the bus stop." he said quietly. She nodded and put her shoes back on before standing up. They continued to talk as they walked back to the bus stop hand in hand. Shortly after they sat down together on the bench, the bus arrived. Even though she had only just met him, it felt to her as if they had known each other forever. She watched him as he boarded the bus, but then, as she finally worked up the nerve, she tried to call him back.
"Gil!"
He looked back through the door. He let the other men pass him before he made his way back to Sara. He cocked his head to the side curiously.
"What?" he asked, and in reply, she took his face in her hands and kissed him gently on the lips. She pulled away, not removing her hands from his cheeks.
"I'll miss you," she said, slowly, reluctantly breaking contact. He nodded and hugged her tightly.
"I'll miss you, too. But I'll be back before you know it." he said comfortingly. He kissed her back and re boarded the bus. Sighing, she folded her arms and as the bus drove away, she waved. As soon as it disappeared from her sight, she sat down on the bench again, alone this time. Before she knew it, her face had tensed up and warm tears fell down her face. She couldn't explain why she was already so attached to a man she had just met. All she knew was that nothing would make her happier than the day he came back home.
As the bus left the station, he waved good-bye to her, surrounded by the hoots and hollers of the the young, excited soldiers crowded in the bus. But he couldn't even hear them over his own restless thoughts. He had never met a girl like her before, that he just instantly felt attracted to. All he knew was that nothing would make him happier than the day he came back home to her.