More Than a Soldier

Chapter 19 - I'm so sorry

Y/n's POV:

I genuinely don't think I've been happier than I have this weekend. Spending it with my family, knowing that I'm home for good, has been amazing. On the Saturday morning, Scarlett and I were feeling a little worse for wear, but we forced ourselves up and went for a walk in the hopes the fresh air would make us feel better. It seemed to work, and we headed over to collect Ava from Gracie's house.

For lunch we had Mama Gina's and then we went to the zoo. Having the yearly passes were the best investment. We don't spend hours there, just seeing the animals we want to before heading home for an evening on the sofa watching movies and playing on the switch.

On Sunday, we went to visit two potential wedding venues. One was a definite no. It was far to fancy for my liking and it didn't feel like us at all. The second one is certainly a contender. Though there are a couple of others we want to see before we make our final decison. But it was exciting to start do some official planning and Ava loved being involved in the decision making. 

In the afternoon, we go bowling as Ava wanted to relive some of her birthday. She is extremely competitive, especially on the arcade game, and I can't help but worry that Scarlett and I are rubbing off on her too much! We spend almost as much time on the arcade games as we do bowling. I remember many a Saturday spent with Sophie when we were kids, playing on the games at our local arcade.

For dinner on Sunday, I decide to do a traditional English roast dinner and invited my parents and Sophie over. I enjoyed being able to cook for them all and I had really missed this type of food over the last six months. I also missed the normality these dinners had. Just being with my family and seeing the kids getting on so well made me so unbelievable happy.

Thankfully, no one has asked me what my plans are when I leave the military. At the moment I have no idea what I want to do, and it scares me a little. I know there is no rush to find what I want to do next, but I know I won't be able to sit around without a purpose for too long. But I have Scarlett and Ava here to help me learn what it is I want to do with my life. However, in this moment, I'm focusing on my family and the time I know I'm going to be getting with them.

Once the weekend is over, it's back to full on normality, doing the school drop offs, helping Ava with homework, cooking dinner. And I love it. During the day, Scarlett and I spend a lot of time together. She's not working for a couple of weeks and we're making the most of the time we've got together. Some days we just go for a walk, other days we return to the bedroom as soon as we drop Ava off, and on others we head into the city. It's perfect. Like I said, I couldn't have been happier.

I've been home a little over a week now and Scarlett and I are enjoying a nice lunch together. It's been a peaceful morning and I'm looking forward to another weekend ahead where we plan to book our Disneyland trip. But in this moment, I'm enjoying the time with my fiancé. I'll never tire of just being with her. Her presence is calming and reminds me of how lucky I am.

Just as we're finishing up our food, there's a knock at the door. "I'll get it my love." I tell Scarlett, placing a kiss on her head as I walk past her. I make my way through the hallway and open the door for everything to just stop.

In front of me is Brigadier Ford in full uniform. He doesn't need to say anything, his mere presence tells me everything I need to know, and I feel like the air has been ripped from my lungs. "Hi Maj Y/l/n. Would you mind if I come in?" He asks me with a warm smile. "Sir, of course." I manage to speak out, moving to the side so he could enter.

I direct him into the living room, the only sound I can hear is the beating of my rapid heart. "Sir, this is my fiancé, Scarlett." I introduce when Scarlett walks into see who it was. Her worried face not going unnoticed. "I remember from the medal ceremony. It's lovely to see you again Scarlett." Her greets politely. "Can I get you a drink?" Scarlett asks but the Brigadier declines. "H-how can I help you Sir?" I question once he's sat.