Marriage: John
When are you getting married?
Already done that. Not very good at it.
Her name was Bridget Sheppard née Malone. She had hair the color of mahogany and blue eyes that always sparkled with laughter. John Sheppard had known the moment he laid eyes on the daughter of his high school English teacher that he was in love. With relentless badgering he had finally convinced this beautiful, cheerful president of the chess club to go with him to their senior prom.
It had been a night of magic and from that moment on the chess club and the math club started meeting at the same time in the evenings so that neither Bridget nor John would have to wait for the other before heading on their dates. The day after graduation, John proposed with his late mother's engagement ring, a proposal Bridget gleefully accepted. However, they both knew that the wedding would have to wait until John graduated from the Air Force Academy.
To the surprise of both friends and family, they couple managed to stay together as John went through the Academy and Bridget attended the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs. Following tradition, the day after John graduated, he and Bridget were married in a small ceremony. The image of Bridget walking down the isle on her father's arm forever remained imprinted in John's mind and he counted the day they became husband and wife as the greatest day of his life.
Bridget and John happily began their life together and, despite the usual disagreements and troubles couples go through, managed life together well for several years. As life continued, however, Bridget began finding it harder to deal with John's frequent absences due to his job. She started resenting moving from base to base, and began resenting John himself for her unhappiness.
John tried his hardest to try and make Bridget happy, but she ignored all these attempts and let her resentment fester in her heart. One day John came home early, bringing flowers for Bridget as an anniversary present. Instead of finding his wife, he found a hastily scribbled note reading: John- I'm done with this. Steve Mikhaelson is taking me to Paris. I'll be back to sign the divorce papers. –Bridget.
The note fell to the floor alongside the forgotten roses as John slowly walked to the refrigerator for a beer.
A few years later, after the divorce, after Afghanistan, John Sheppard sat on a hill in Colorado Springs flipping a coin that would change his life forever. And perhaps, just perhaps, he would find someone who would see the man Bridget Malone never appreciated.
This was probably my least favorite chapter, felt it was a bit rushed at the end. Oh well, hope you liked it anyway.