Life After Sam

Have you ever thought about how everything can change within just a second? January 6th, 2021 was the day my life changed in just a second. The movie started at 9 pm. It had been cold that day, so before the movie started I cradled up in a blanket with my glass of red wine and homemade popcorn. I was ready for a relaxing night when the phone rang. I looked at the phone to see who it was. An unknown number. Normally, I wouldn't have picked up the phone, and I honestly don't know why I decided to do so anyway, but I did. When I picked up the phone a deep male voice asked me whether he was speaking to Gigianna Lewington?

"Yes, sir! That is me. Who am I speaking with?" I asked him doubtfully.

"Ms. Lewington, this is lieutenant Bradshaw speaking. I am sorry to inform you that your fiancé Samuel Louis Webbing has passed in combat. He was fatally shot by the enemy, and..."

I swallowed. "Thank you for calling, lieutenant!" I hung up the phone, and immediately dropped it on the floor. I didn't feel anything but numbness. Only when Sam's parents came rushing through the door and his mom put her arms around me, realization sunk in. My fiancé, my best friend, the love of my life was gone, and this time he wasn't coming back.

"Sam!" I screamed out of the top of my lungs. "Sam! No! No no no no! Sam!" Tears were streaming down my face and there was nothing left but sobs. I screamed his name until I had no breath left. Eventually, my parents arrived as well, and my mom put me too bed. All I could see was Sam, with my eyes open and closed. He smiled at me. He was my 6'5 blonde blue-eyed country boy. And now he was gone, and I didn't know how to get through. The day that was even worse than the day I heard he died or the day of his funeral, was the day he was supposed to come home from his tour. That was when I truly realized he was no longer here with us.

Now, here I am, six months later, bathing in the sun at Miami Beach. Apparently, my friends know what I need. A hot girl summer is what they call it. But then again most of my friends had been single for years and didn't really understand the love Sam and I had. We met freshmen year of high school when he moved to Florida with his family. We started dating, fell in love, and had been together ever since. During my junior year of college he proposed and we would get married the summer after I graduated, which is this summer.

"Gigi, are you okay?" Katie asks. I look up and know that it happened again. I wipe the usual tear of my cheek and put a smile on my face and nod.

"You were thinking about him, weren't you?'

I nod. "Not a day has gone by that I have not thought about him."

Katie smiles at me and looks at the ring on my left hand. "I know you do. But wouldn't it be good for you to not forget him, but start moving on, Gigi?"

I look at her, astonished. "Katie, how could you ever say that? We were going to get married in three days! How can I move on from on that? I do not even know if he was all by himself when died? If he was in pain for a long a time? How long it took before he took his last breath."

"I am sorry, Gigi. I just want you to be happy again." She says. But honestly I do not want to hear it. "Okay, all right. Do you want another cocktail? I will get us some."

While she stands up and leaves, I lay down on the towel in the sand and put my sunglasses on. Sarah, Julia, and Meera are swimming in the ocean. But I am pretty sure they will come running towards me as soon as they see that I am all by myself. People have been watching me these last six months, as if I am going to explode. The only thing that will make me explode is the babying and the heat of the Florida sun. I close my eyes and see him before me. I imagine him on the sand beside me. He would probably be reading with his glasses on. How cute he looked with those glasses on. A breeze rolls down my spine. Whenever that happens, which has been happening a lot lately, I like to think it's Sam telling me he is thinking of me too.