She sat on her airplane waiting for her arrival back home. She didn't believe that she was even called. She hasn't been home in one year due to the war overseas. She was heading home due to an injury she received after encountering a roadside bomb which wiped out half of her crew. That day replayed in her mind time after time bringing tears to her eyes. Her friend, who was at war and returning home with her, placed a hand upon her shoulder.
"Are you okay?" Heather asked her.
Katie shook her head and broke down. It played over and over since it happened. She knew it wasn't going to leave her.
The plane came to a land and the two girls got up. Heather helped Katie up due to the injury to her leg. She, along with a flight attendent helped Katie off of the plane until they met up with their families. Katie'd family ran up to and almost killed her with the tight grips she was receiving from them. Tears came to her eyes as she felt them hugging her and supporting her to stand up.
"Oh baby," her mother cried pulling away, "How are you feeling?"
"I'm in so much pain," she said.
She looked behind her mother and saw the rest of her family with balloons and signs saying 'Welcome Home, Katie Gurl' making her smile. She looked over at Heather who was receiving the same reactions she was.
"Your friends are finishing their exams at school and will be stopping by at your party later," her father told her.
Bradin and Johnny ran throughout Mona's Bar trying to make everything perfect for a Welcome Home celebration they were holding that night. They knew that it was someone coming home from the war and wanted the person to feel special and welcomed.
"Looks great guys," Ava said walking in, "Are you excited about tonight?"
"More like scared," Johnny said as he fixed the tables, "We haven't had one of these yet."
"You'll be fine," Ava reassured him, "It's Katie's family and friends."
Bradin looked up. "You know them?"
"We know the family. The eldest daughter was the prettiest girl here. She had an amazing life. She's nineteen and a knockout I heard. When she joined the Army at the age of eighteen, everyone turned against her. They didn't want her to go and leave her life behind. She was injured in the leg over in Iraq two weeks ago."
"Oh," Bradin said softly.
