I told him just weeks before I was supposed to be deployed. We cried together, both wishing I could stay. I would never have signed up if I had known him sooner, if we had run into each-other just months earlier, I wouldn't have signed up.
That was just over a year ago.
By some miracle, I had survived getting a piece of machinery off of an aircraft carrier and then flying it above enemy oceans in storms and through fog at over two-hundred miles an hour, but now, I was going home. I was sittingin the cabin of the big 747 airbus, staring at the picture of us he gave me along with the bird and anchor three-finger ring, that said: “My Little Marine” on it; remembering his words from that day in the airport as they called us to board to plane, “I am always with you, in the air, on ground, or in the place people go when their hearts are stilled. I love you, and I will always be thinking off you.” It sounded like the lyrics to a song he once sang with the boys long ago. We hugged, and with misty eyes we said goodbye, not sure if we would ever see each-other again. But I did it! I lived and I'm going home! Some-times I believe it is all just a dream and in two minutes I'm going to wake up and be back in my little bunker. But it never happened. I really am going home.
My leg began to bounce with anxiety to be OUT. To get out of the plane and see him again. “Zayn, Zayn, Zayn, Zayn,” my body seemed to chant. My heart beating to his name, my mind lost in memories we shared. I began to trace the lines of camouflage on my uniform, telling myself that every hour on this plane gets me closer to home. “Zayn, Zayn, Zayn, Zayn...”
“Good-evening passengers this is your captain speaking, we will be landing in approximately fifteen minutes so we ask you to please put your tray tables up, put your seats in their upright positions, and to please turn-off any electronics. We congratulate all of those who are returning from service and for those who are being deployed we wish you luck. Thank you for flying with United Airlines.”
Joy. Pure joy. No other way to describe what I felt. I quickly prepared for landing and then sat and waited, even more anxious before. “Zayn, Zayn, Zayn, Zayn, Zayn, Zayn... 10 minutes, Zayn, Zayn, Zayn, Zayn... 5 minutes, Zayn Zayn Zayn Zayn...”
The landing gear. THE LANDING GEAR! My mind went numb from happiness, much like when a child's right before going on vacation or riding a roller-coaster, only much more so. The slight thud as the tires hit the scorching pavement, the agonizingly slow taxiing into the terminal, the small “ping!” as the lights came on, the shuffling of bodies gathering luggage, all happened in a haze of excitement. The anticipation was almost rolling of my quivering form as I picked up my pack from underneath the seat. I quickly saluted the other soldiers dis-embarking the craft, and ran into the airport. HOME. HOME!!! Where is he?! I frantically scanned the crowd, frantic being an understatement. There. THERE!!! I thought I had seen his face among the bustling crowd, but what ever it was, it was gone. WHERE? My mind kept asking, the heart beating faster than a galloping stallion, “Zayn, Zayn, Zayn, Zayn, Zayn...ZAYN!!!” THERE!!! His eyes caught mine, and I scrambled to soak in the image of him standing there with the boys Niall, Liam, Louis, and Liam, all waiting for me. His eyes lit up like fireworks when he found me. We were both frozen in place, almost not believing that we were there. But as suddenly as we had frozen, we began running to reach each-other. “ZAYN, ZAYN, ZAYN, ZAYN, ZAYN...” my heart pounded with each step I took.
People quickly made a path for me, smiling as I ran past, they knew what was happening; the reuniting of soldier and love after long months of waiting. “ZAYN!” I called across the waiting area, “Y/N!!!” he called back. Three more steps...two...then we collided. I hugged him with all my strength, afraid that if I let go, it would all dissolve and I would be back in Iraq. "Y/N, Y/N...” he muttered into my hair. We held each-other as though we would never let go, there was nothing between us. He pulled back suddenly and starred deep into my eyes, “Y/N, Y/N, I love you so much,” He pulled me in again, this time, our lips meeting. And all of our love, all the anxious nerves, the waiting, the relief, all the emotion, was poured into that kiss. Tears of pure joy flowed from my eyes, causing him to pull back again as he tasted the salt. He gave me a questioning look, the question “Are you okay?” in his eyes. “I love you so much,” I whispered, “I won't ever let go” I promised as we crushed our bodies together, hugging, kissing, trying to make up for all the time I had been away. I'm home.
