both of you, and you didn’t do anything wrong. The shower was my idea, but then I messed things up and now Stella’s more confused than ever.”
Gerald marched up the remaining steps and sat down beside Marshall. “I can’t imagine what you’ve been through, but I’m thankful you came home in one piece. You and Stella might need more time to adjust though.”
Marshall put a hand against his forehead. “Still a little fuzzy in here, but . . . I do like being with Stella. I just have to convince her of that. I wish I could remember more about her.”
“But you remembered your mom and me right away after we began telling you about your life. Why do you think it’s so hard to remember one of the best parts of your life?”
“You mean Stella and the wedding?”
“Yep. That’s the topic of the day around here.”
Marshall slanted an appreciative gaze toward his strong,usually silent father. “I guess I haven’t been the best patient, huh?”
“It’s okay, son,” his dad said. “We’re so glad you’re alive, we figure we’ll work on the rest. That’s what family is all about.”
Marshall accepted his father’s words. “And about Stella? I can’t explain it.” He took a deep breath. “I keep having this dream about her.” He shrugged, wringing his hands together. “Lately, the dream has become more frequent. I have this scene in my head, of Stella walking right into the war zone. I’m trying to tell her to go away.”
“Dreaming about Stella might be a sign that your memory is finally coming back, even if it’s uncomfortable.”
“Except in the dream, she’s there with me in the fray. The bomb blast pushes me through the air, through a heavy smoke, and I hit the dirt and I can’t breathe. Stella’s walking toward me, but I’m yelling for her to go back, to run away.” He shrugged. “She never hears me. She just keeps on coming toward me.” He gave his father a helpless glance. “She heard me talking to myself yesterday when I was having a panic attack and took what I said the wrong way. Now she thinks I don’t want her around.”
His dad patted him on the knee. “Maybe she heard you, but she doesn’t want to run away. Stella is fighting her own battle, son. Think about that.”
Marshall nodded in agreement. “And I keep hurting her over and over. I think it’s time I read the letters. We’ve only got a few days before the wedding. Maybe the letters will fill in the spots that are still blank.”
“Do you love Stella?” his dad asked.
Marshall looked down at his hands. “I want to. She’s so easy to love.”
“You did love her, you know. You two made the cutest couple, always cuddling and cooing, laughing and having fun. Reminded me of your mom and me when we were dating.”
“I have fun with her now and I like being with her, but why can’t I just let go and get that feeling back?” Marshall asked, wishing it with all his might.
“You were very ill, son. You’ve still got some healing to do.” His dad pointed to his chest. “In here. It might take time, so don’t rush it. If you love Stella, you can make this work, one way or another. But if you’re not sure, you owe it to her to be completely honest. You two can work through this without the stress of a big wedding and worrying about the intimacy of marriage.”
Marshall swiped at his hair, his hand touching on the scar left from his injury. “I’m not sure about anything. Each time I think about stopping the wedding, I see her face and I see the disappointment in her eyes. Then I remember the dream and something holds me back. I can’t stop her in the dream. But I could end all of this in reality.” He shrugged. “Only I don’t want to end it. In spite of all my doubts, marrying Stella seems like what I need to do.”
His dad tented his hands across his knees. “What is your heart telling you?”
“To do the thing I promised to do. To marry the woman I love.” He shifted, held on to one of the
Gerald marched up the remaining steps and sat down beside Marshall. “I can’t imagine what you’ve been through, but I’m thankful you came home in one piece. You and Stella might need more time to adjust though.”
Marshall put a hand against his forehead. “Still a little fuzzy in here, but . . . I do like being with Stella. I just have to convince her of that. I wish I could remember more about her.”
“But you remembered your mom and me right away after we began telling you about your life. Why do you think it’s so hard to remember one of the best parts of your life?”
“You mean Stella and the wedding?”
“Yep. That’s the topic of the day around here.”
Marshall slanted an appreciative gaze toward his strong,usually silent father. “I guess I haven’t been the best patient, huh?”
“It’s okay, son,” his dad said. “We’re so glad you’re alive, we figure we’ll work on the rest. That’s what family is all about.”
Marshall accepted his father’s words. “And about Stella? I can’t explain it.” He took a deep breath. “I keep having this dream about her.” He shrugged, wringing his hands together. “Lately, the dream has become more frequent. I have this scene in my head, of Stella walking right into the war zone. I’m trying to tell her to go away.”
“Dreaming about Stella might be a sign that your memory is finally coming back, even if it’s uncomfortable.”
“Except in the dream, she’s there with me in the fray. The bomb blast pushes me through the air, through a heavy smoke, and I hit the dirt and I can’t breathe. Stella’s walking toward me, but I’m yelling for her to go back, to run away.” He shrugged. “She never hears me. She just keeps on coming toward me.” He gave his father a helpless glance. “She heard me talking to myself yesterday when I was having a panic attack and took what I said the wrong way. Now she thinks I don’t want her around.”
His dad patted him on the knee. “Maybe she heard you, but she doesn’t want to run away. Stella is fighting her own battle, son. Think about that.”
Marshall nodded in agreement. “And I keep hurting her over and over. I think it’s time I read the letters. We’ve only got a few days before the wedding. Maybe the letters will fill in the spots that are still blank.”
“Do you love Stella?” his dad asked.
Marshall looked down at his hands. “I want to. She’s so easy to love.”
“You did love her, you know. You two made the cutest couple, always cuddling and cooing, laughing and having fun. Reminded me of your mom and me when we were dating.”
“I have fun with her now and I like being with her, but why can’t I just let go and get that feeling back?” Marshall asked, wishing it with all his might.
“You were very ill, son. You’ve still got some healing to do.” His dad pointed to his chest. “In here. It might take time, so don’t rush it. If you love Stella, you can make this work, one way or another. But if you’re not sure, you owe it to her to be completely honest. You two can work through this without the stress of a big wedding and worrying about the intimacy of marriage.”
Marshall swiped at his hair, his hand touching on the scar left from his injury. “I’m not sure about anything. Each time I think about stopping the wedding, I see her face and I see the disappointment in her eyes. Then I remember the dream and something holds me back. I can’t stop her in the dream. But I could end all of this in reality.” He shrugged. “Only I don’t want to end it. In spite of all my doubts, marrying Stella seems like what I need to do.”
His dad tented his hands across his knees. “What is your heart telling you?”
“To do the thing I promised to do. To marry the woman I love.” He shifted, held on to one of the
Similar Books
