There was no easy way to say this, Owen realized. He was waiting for her to speak but it seemed like words were not forthcoming at the moment.
"You can ask me anything about it," Owen said, encouragingly. She blinked and the tears rolled down her face. "Was he in pain?" she asked. It was hard for her to think about Josh suffering.
"Well, he did have really bad internal injuries so I guess he would have been in pain," Owen said. "I operated on him, when he first came in. He made it through the first surgery. I saw him the next day. I really thought he was going to make it. "Owen sighed, still wishing that he could have done something more to save Josh. "He was alert, a little weak, but able to talk. He spoke mainly about you and the children."
"Did he call me his Asian princess? He always used to say that," she asked. "Yes, he did," Owen answered. "He said people always wondered how a good old southern boy like himself ended up with an Asian princess. He told me about how you met in high school and how he kept asking you for a date, until you finally agreed."
Cristina gave Owen a hint of a smile. "Yeah, he always liked to tell people how we met," Cristina said. "I am originally from California and my dad moved to South Carolina, after my mom died."
"Yeah, he told me," Owen said. "He said you were so beautiful and had the most amazing head of hair. You know he is right. You are beautiful and you do have wonderful hair."
"Thanks," she said. It was odd when a stranger like this complimented her. They were both quiet for a minute. Then Owen decided to continue, "He told me about how you got married and when your babies were born. And that your dad doesn't like him."
"That's true," Cristina concurred. "My dad means well but he always wanted me to marry a professional man but Josh was set on joining the army. He used to say that there was no greater job that being able to serve your country." She glanced at him. "I guess you understand that calling, too." Owen nodded.
"Yes, my former fiancée didn't understand it too much," he said. "I guess maybe that is one of the reasons that she is no longer my fiancée."
"Sorry about that," she said. "I am not," he replied. "It wasn't going to work out, anyway. We just weren't compatible. Anyway, I didn't come here to talk about me. I came here to talk about Josh.
"Okay, go on," she urged.
Owen continued, "I really thought he was going to get better but he took a turn for the worse that night and we had to go back in. He coded on the table and we tried to bring him back but he didn't come back to us."
"Oh," she said, so softly that he almost did not hear it.
"He had a message for you," Owen said, his voice shaking a bit. This was the real reason he was here. He took out of his wallet and handed her the picture. "Josh told me that he carried that picture with him, always. Before we took him in for the second surgery, he made me promise that I come here to tell you this. He wanted you to know that how much he loved you and that you were the love of his life. He said that you should know that his last thoughts were about you and the kids."
Cristina finally broke down completely. She buried her face in her hands as she cried. Her two little girls stared at her. They didn't understand why their mother was crying like this. Iris figured it had something to do with her daddy but she wasn't quite sure. Laurel didn't have a clue what was going on but if her mommy was crying, then it would have to be something bad. Owen felt helpless, watching her cry. He couldn't stand it, as he went to her and kneeled in front of her, taking her into his arms, so she could cry on his shoulder. He rocked her as she wept. The two little girls hugged their mother from either side. Only when her sobbing ceased did he let her go. She raised her head from his shoulder. Her eyes were red.
"I am sorry for crying on you like this," she said. "I didn't cry at his funeral. I was just so numb. I couldn't believe that it was actually happening. It was so surreal. I kept thinking that it was a nightmare and I was going to wake up any minute. This is the first time I have really let it all out like this."
"It's okay," Owen said. "You can cry all you want. I am here." He handed her a box of tissues from the coffee table. Though his uniform was wet with her tears, he didn't really mind it at all. Anything he could do to make her feel better, he would do.
She wiped her face and her eyes. "I loved him so much," she said. "He was my first and only love. We've been together since we were 16 years old. I thought we were going to grow old together." She looked at him with very sad eyes. He wished he could take away her hurt and pain.
"Thank you," she said. "I am okay now. You have been too kind. First, you come all the way here to tell me Josh's last words and then you let me cry all over you. Oh, my manners. I forgot to ask you if you wanted something to drink."
Owen got up from his kneeling position. "Just a glass of cold water would be fine," he said. She got up and went to the kitchen, followed by her two little girls. She came back a minute later with a tall glass of iced water. He was grateful for it. It was really hot and humid in Georgia. As he sipped on the water, she and the children sat across from him on the sofa. He ventured to ask about the boxes he had seen in the house.
"Are you moving?" he asked. "Yeah," she said. "Well, we are no longer dependants of an active serviceman, so we have to move out, soon."
"So where are you going to go?" he inquired. "Um, back to South Carolina, I guess," she answered. He noted the unenthusiastic tone in her voice, as she said that. That didn't sound like somebody who wanted to move back to South Carolina.
"Will you be living with your father?" he asked. "Yes," she answered in a tight voice. Now, that was further evidence that she really didn't want to go back to SC to live with her dad. He didn't want to pry any further. There was clearly some discontent on her part.
As he drained the last of the water, he got up. "Well, I am going back to my hotel but I was wondering if you and the girls would like to come to dinner with me. I plan to return home tomorrow."
"You don't have to do that," Cristina said, pushing back an unruly lock of hair behind her ear. "You have done enough, coming all the way from…. By the way, where did you come all the way from?"
"Seattle," he told her. "I am on leave and I was visiting my mom and then I flew out here." She gasped. "You came from the other side of the country just to see me. That is incredible. Well, I guess my girls and I would be honored to have dinner with you."
"Good," he said. "Is there any good restaurant in town that I can take you out? It should be early around 6 p.m., seeing that the girls are quite young."
"Yes," she said. "O'Flanagan's is a good place. The girls like it there."
"Good," he said. "I will make some reservations. Okay, I will pick you up, later." Cristina beamed at him. She seemed genuinely pleased to go out with him. Owen left the house, feeling that his visit had gone well. He hoped that she had not noticed how much he was staring at her. He couldn't help it. He was strangely drawn to her, even though they barely knew each other. He was actually looking forward to tonight's dinner. He drove back to his hotel and took a nap. It seemed he was more tired than he thought. The late night from the party and the early morning flight had indeed taken a toll on him. By the time he woke up, it was already four in the afternoon. He was famished. All he had that day was breakfast. He reluctantly opened the mini-bar and took a bottle of water and a chocolate bar out of it. He didn't want to spoil his appetite by eating anything heavy. After all, he was going to meet Cristina in a little bit.
After consuming his chocolate and finishing off his water, he decided to get ready with a bath and a shave. He had brought civilian clothes to wear for the dinner. O'Flanagan's was not a fancy place, so he could get away with just a shirt and khakis. He drove to the base to pick her up. When he got to the house, he knocked on the door and she was dressed in a sapphire blue dress with thin straps. He admired the unblemished creaminess of her neck and shoulders. He looked behind her to see that Iris was in a yellow dress, while Laurel was in a pink dress. The two little girls looked liked living dolls. "My, you all look so pretty. I will be so proud to be seen with three lovely ladies," he said. "Are you ready?"
"Yes," Cristina said. "Come on, girls. I thought that maybe we could take my car. Their car seats are in them and it would be such a hassle to take them out and put them in your car.
"Sure," Owen said. He strapped in the older girl while Cristina took care of the younger one. He then slipped into the passenger seat. "Since you know the way, of course, you should drive," he said.
"Okay, let's go," she said. The restaurant turned out to be not too far away. They took the children out of the car. Owen carried Laurel, while Iris held on to her mother's hand. It was a pleasant place and there were other families, there.
When the food was brought to their table, Cristina was occupied with feeding two year old Laurel, while Iris was taking care of herself. "Do you need any help, there?" Owen asked Iris. The four year old shook her head. "I am fine. I can do it myself. I am not a baby like Laurel." Owen gathered that Iris was mature for her age. He gazed across at Cristina, watching her feed the toddler.
"So when are you moving?" he asked. She looked up at him. "By the end of the week, hopefully," she replied. "There are lots to do and it is only me doing all of the packing. I really can't expect Iris and Laurel to help. They are too little."
Owen thought for a bit before he answered. "Well, maybe I can stick around and help you with that." She was a little flabbergasted. "But don't you have to go back to Seattle tomorrow?" she said. "I mean I am grateful for that help but I wouldn't want to impose or inconvenience you."
"It's okay," he said. "I don't mind. I will just change my flight plans and extend my stay at the hotel."
"Thank you," she said. "You've been really good to me." He smiled and responded, "Just giving a helping hand to a fellow soldier's family."
As they drove back to the Daniels family home, that night, he said, "What time should I come by to help with the packing?"
"Around eight in the morning. You can come by for breakfast," she said. "Sounds good," he told her.
"Bye, Owen," she said. He realized at that moment, it was the first time she called him by his first name. "Bye, Cristina," he said. "You, too, Laurel and Iris." The sleepy little girls waved. As he got into his car, he knew that asking her if he could help was an impulsive move. His mother had been expecting him to return the next day. Yet, somehow, he knew it was the right thing to do.
A/N Thanks for leaving your comments. Hope you're enjoying this story.