A Soldier to Love by EA HUNT Page B

nightmares and secrets he wouldn’t talk to her about. Elsie smiled at another guest as she headed towards the house she needed to check on the baby. She looked once more in Eric’s direction they had decided to have a homecoming/ memorial at Janelle’s and had invited the families of his fallen brothers and those they knew would wish them well. Meaning not a lot of family for either of them was there. She released a breath Eric had greeted everyone in the same manner slight indifference. He wasn’t rude but she could tell this was the last place he wanted to be.
    Elsie turned back towards the house and headed inside Raelyn was sleeping in the bassinet in the living room. She walked into the room on her right she stilled when she saw Meghan Jones, “Meghan”
    Meghan wiped at her tears, “sorry. I didn’t mean.”
    Elsie shook her head as she walked over to the woman, “figure this would be the only place in the house no one would see you cry.”
    Meghan nodded; she released a breath “she’s a beautiful girl.”
    Elsie smiled, “thank you.” She motioned Meghan to the couch in the room. They both sat. “Are you ok?”
    “Not really but I will be”
    “Want to talk about it?” Elsie questioned.
    Meghan sighed “the dreams have started.”
    “I’ve deemed them the endless nightmares.”
    Meghan chuckled, “I woke up the other night and Jones was on top of me telling me saying he was going to kill me to get back to his family. I could see he was sleeping, so I calmly talked him awake,” she lifted her bruised wrist “this was a product of that dream.”
    “Oh Meghan”
    “He was so sorry.” She sniffled “I’m pregnant.”
    “Oh honey,” Elsie pulled her into her arms.
    “I can’t tell him but what if he hurts me or the children while he’s sleeping and”
    “I know” Elsie rubbed her back, “I’ve had the same nightmare.”
    Meghan shook her head, “I didn’t mean to get pregnant. We have five children and here I am carrying our sixth with a husband with PTSD.”
    Elsie pulled back, she smiled sadly at her friend “you need to tell Jones about the baby first then the rest will fall in line.”
    “I’ve been through this so many times with him. These deployments. Waiting on him to come home not knowing if he’s dead or alive but this one. This one took a piece of his soul Elsie and there in no way to give it back to him.”
    “I know. Eric thinks I don’t know but he talks in his sleep. He talks about plans to get out. He talks about how he is going to kill the man torturing him because he needs to get home to me and the girls. Sometimes, I even find him on the floor curled up into a little ball sobbing because he thinks he’s still there. Still being held captive,” Elsie released her friend, “I don’t know how to help him.”
    Meghan covered her friends hand with hers, “just being there. These dreams and actions may scare the crap out of us but we need to be there for them. We ground them. We give them something to look forward to and we can’t turn our backs on them.”
    Elsie covered her hand on top of the one Meghan had covering hers. “Army wives for life.”
    Meghan and Elsie nodded as they stood and headed back out into the party.
    ***
    Finally the day was over and he could lie down in his bed and hopefully dream of something other than the torture he endured. Eric turned on the shower and began to strip he turned his head and looked at his wife in their bedroom getting ready for bed. She had showered and gotten the baby ready for bed while he had done all the evening chores needed for the farm. He turned fully and watched as she slide her nightgown on she looked so beautiful. Her skin was glowing and her eyes were bright and he loved her but he was scared he was going to hurt her. She thought he didn’t know she would wake at night and get him off the floor because he had thought he was still being held captive. She also thought he didn’t know he was talking in his