The Homecoming Bride

Chapter One: Heal Me

CHAPTER SONG: "Heal Me" by Lady Gaga

March 10th, 1918

In a modestly built family house in the peaceful village of Surrey, a young American woman awoke in the spare bedroom, white morning light streaming through the curtains obstructing the windows.

The colorfully patterned worn quilt tangled around her legs from her tossing and turning while sleeping the night before.

As though on instinct, she reached over to the other side of the twin bed to find it disappointingly empty.

Her absent William...

And yet, she could still feel his nearby presence, hear his muffled voice downstairs...

Emmanuelle Hunterson sat up, running her fingers through her disheveled curls, blinking away the sleep from her eyes as she yawned aloud. As she brought her hands down to her lap, the sparkling glint from her scarred hand caught her eye and a girlish enchanted smile formed on her chapped lips...

The diamond-heart engagement ring on her finger greeted her as it did every morning since her corporal proposed to her a month ago...

At first, the ring itself had been slightly loose on her small finger, but the metallic circle was adjusted in its circumference to remain secure on her hand and not slip off.

She would have never forgiven herself if she ended up losing the ring that had once belonged to Will's late mother...

In mere weeks, she and Lance Corporal William Schofield were to be married...

April 7th...

A sudden knot of nausea twisted in her gut as she realized that her period had still not started at its usual time during the first week of the month.

She and Will had that wonderful night on her birthday... united in body and heart, not yet by law.

And today, she had to be sure...

She was more than ready to start a new life with her soldier... just eight more months until this godforsaken war was over.

After Will never had to wear that damned uniform of his again and love each other where they both belonged after everything endured to get to this point...

How she hoped her lack of a usual menstrual cycle was only pre-wedding jitters.

Emmy couldn't stop her hands shaking as she changed out of her cotton ivory nightdress and washed her face.

.

.

After she was fully dressed, Emmy went downstairs to the living parlor, listening to the voices of her eventual new family as she saw her soldier come into view, her long-legged Englishman immediately meeting her eyes with a wearied yet adoring gaze.

Her fiancé...

She was halfway down the stairs as he held out his hand toward her, their fingers interlocking in a gentle hold. A beaming smile glowed on her face as she quickly strode down those final steps and Will gathered her within his arms.

He caught the green glitter of the emerald bracelet on her wrist as she flung her arms around his neck, allowing him to lift her off the final step and just hold her up against him several inches off the ground, her fingers curling at his nape, feeling the fine velvet of his cropped hair.

"Good morning, my love." His soft voice whispered in her ear, his gentle lips brushing her cheek as he slowly lowered her to stand on the floor. Will kept his arms around her, their mouths mutually meeting in a brief but tender kiss, their noses brushing as he crooned to her. "You look beautiful, more so than yesterday."