rested. Nate looked a bit haggard but not too bad. Penny, well, she looked well worn.
“Do I look as bad as you do?” she asked me as we hugged.
“I’m afraid so,” I told her. She smiled.
“I didn’t get a wink of sleep,” Penny admitted.
“Why? Were you up worried?” I asked. Penny looked at Nate and back at me. I should have known better.
“Yeah, let’s go with that,” Penny said and then leaned close to me. “Strippers are fun,” she told me quietly. I was a bit shocked but considering everything I’d heard prior, I wasn’t terribly surprised. I think I had a new confidant.
“I’ll have to take your word,” I replied as my mind went crazy trying to imagine exactly what about strippers was so fun. My mother-in-law was out of control but I not only didn’t care, I admired her.
All too soon, we were headed to the airport to drop Hunter off. My high turned into a major low as the reality hit me. In the last twenty-four hours I’d learned Hunter was back in town, had a knock-down, drag-out with my roommate, reconciled with Hunter, agreed to marry him, actually gotten married, went on my honeymoon and learned maybe a little too much about my new mother-in-law.
And as suddenly as it all happened, the fairy tale was coming to an abrupt end. I’d just barely committed to Hunter and now I had to give him up. But as bad as that was for me, it was worse for him. I’d get to go back to school, finish the semester and move on with my life...sort of. Hunter would be, well, I wasn’t sure what he’d be doing. I assumed it would be dangerous and at the very least uncomfortable. He was going to war even if they weren’t calling it that.
While my life would go on much as usual, his would be one of sacrifice and misery. At least that’s how I imagined it. It wasn’t fair and I felt a pang of guilt. I saw with even more clarity the folly of my ideology. My intentions were pure but after I marched in protest, I went home, slept in my own bed, ate what I wanted. Daisy cast men like Hunter as villains. I doubt true villains would endure the hardships our military men and women suffered. I never considered why they did what they did. I knew now.
I was already breaking down but I promised myself I’d keep it together. I was only partially successful. As we parked in the parking structure, tears were already running down my cheeks. Hunter held me and while that helped in some ways, in others, namely containing my emotions, it didn’t. Then the slow walk over the sky bridge, down the escalators to security. Only Hunter could go beyond that point.
He said goodbye to Indigo, who was crying along with Penny and me, and then Sandy. Sandy was steady, comforting her wife who was left weeping. Then Hunter shook his dad’s hand and they hugged. Even Nate’s eyes were red and glassy. I wanted to turn away when Hunter said goodbye to Penny. I mean she kept it together for the most part but there was something poignant about a son wishing his mother goodbye as he was leaving to go fight.
Then it was my turn. Hunter stared into my eyes. “I got you something,” he said. I wasn’t sure how that was possible since he hadn’t been out of my sight since the previous afternoon. “Well, actually my dad got it. Last night after we left the restaurant. Reno’s got it all. Casinos, wedding chapels, strip clubs...,” he began and I glanced at Penny. She blushed. “...and pawnshops,” Hunter finished and produced a ring.
“Oh, you...I...I love you,” I exclaimed and held out my hand. Hunter slipped it on and I noticed he wore one too. They didn’t match but it didn’t matter.
“With this ring, I thee wed,” he told me. That did me in. I began to cry openly and nearly uncontrollably. Hunter pulled me to him and held me as I sobbed. “I’ll be back before you know it, Mel, and then we can start our life together. Pretend it’s an engagement,” he told me.
“Do I look as bad as you do?” she asked me as we hugged.
“I’m afraid so,” I told her. She smiled.
“I didn’t get a wink of sleep,” Penny admitted.
“Why? Were you up worried?” I asked. Penny looked at Nate and back at me. I should have known better.
“Yeah, let’s go with that,” Penny said and then leaned close to me. “Strippers are fun,” she told me quietly. I was a bit shocked but considering everything I’d heard prior, I wasn’t terribly surprised. I think I had a new confidant.
“I’ll have to take your word,” I replied as my mind went crazy trying to imagine exactly what about strippers was so fun. My mother-in-law was out of control but I not only didn’t care, I admired her.
All too soon, we were headed to the airport to drop Hunter off. My high turned into a major low as the reality hit me. In the last twenty-four hours I’d learned Hunter was back in town, had a knock-down, drag-out with my roommate, reconciled with Hunter, agreed to marry him, actually gotten married, went on my honeymoon and learned maybe a little too much about my new mother-in-law.
And as suddenly as it all happened, the fairy tale was coming to an abrupt end. I’d just barely committed to Hunter and now I had to give him up. But as bad as that was for me, it was worse for him. I’d get to go back to school, finish the semester and move on with my life...sort of. Hunter would be, well, I wasn’t sure what he’d be doing. I assumed it would be dangerous and at the very least uncomfortable. He was going to war even if they weren’t calling it that.
While my life would go on much as usual, his would be one of sacrifice and misery. At least that’s how I imagined it. It wasn’t fair and I felt a pang of guilt. I saw with even more clarity the folly of my ideology. My intentions were pure but after I marched in protest, I went home, slept in my own bed, ate what I wanted. Daisy cast men like Hunter as villains. I doubt true villains would endure the hardships our military men and women suffered. I never considered why they did what they did. I knew now.
I was already breaking down but I promised myself I’d keep it together. I was only partially successful. As we parked in the parking structure, tears were already running down my cheeks. Hunter held me and while that helped in some ways, in others, namely containing my emotions, it didn’t. Then the slow walk over the sky bridge, down the escalators to security. Only Hunter could go beyond that point.
He said goodbye to Indigo, who was crying along with Penny and me, and then Sandy. Sandy was steady, comforting her wife who was left weeping. Then Hunter shook his dad’s hand and they hugged. Even Nate’s eyes were red and glassy. I wanted to turn away when Hunter said goodbye to Penny. I mean she kept it together for the most part but there was something poignant about a son wishing his mother goodbye as he was leaving to go fight.
Then it was my turn. Hunter stared into my eyes. “I got you something,” he said. I wasn’t sure how that was possible since he hadn’t been out of my sight since the previous afternoon. “Well, actually my dad got it. Last night after we left the restaurant. Reno’s got it all. Casinos, wedding chapels, strip clubs...,” he began and I glanced at Penny. She blushed. “...and pawnshops,” Hunter finished and produced a ring.
“Oh, you...I...I love you,” I exclaimed and held out my hand. Hunter slipped it on and I noticed he wore one too. They didn’t match but it didn’t matter.
“With this ring, I thee wed,” he told me. That did me in. I began to cry openly and nearly uncontrollably. Hunter pulled me to him and held me as I sobbed. “I’ll be back before you know it, Mel, and then we can start our life together. Pretend it’s an engagement,” he told me.
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