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Prologue

Prologue:

Louise my sweet,

How have you been darling? How are the children, the grandchildren? Oh I've missed you so Louise, you probably haven't seen my handwriting for years. So, have any scandalous events and matters been occurring? Any forbidden love? My life here has been well, terrible. The memory and of the children's and your face brings me through to the next rise of the sun. Your love is what helps me survive. How I long to see your face again. Your beautiful eyes and smile and hair and everything about you just makes me glow with happiness. Ahh I smile as I write this to you. I hope my short letter  also brings the very same smile to your face, so even apart we are sharing the moment together. I just wanted to tell you how much I love you, Never ever ever forget that. Whenever you feel like no-body cares, remembers or loves you, just look up to the sky and imagine me smiling down upon your lovely face. Tears and smiles and kisses from this brief note to you. But up in the clouds I will always be watching and waiting for you. 

I love you like the stars shine in the night sky. Never forget that, and never forget me. 

Forever yours, William

 ...

 Even as he was writing the letter William knew he was going to die. Life in the war had been terrible and death always loomed at the horizon. When a man felt his death coming there was no mistake. It wasn't hard to see it, it was everywhere. William knew, he just knew that he didn't have very long and he knew, oh how it pained him to know, that he would never see his lovely wife again. Never would he see his children, his sons and daughters, never would he be able to bear witness to his grandchildren being born. No, he was to die young, amongst a crowded trench of soldiers. It didn't matter to him how crowded it was, for without his family, he was  alone. Quickly he slipped his last letter into a small envelope. Along with that he slipped his few true possessions, a small pocket watch and a necklace he had bought for his wife while training in Egypt. He handed his parcel over and left, walking around lost in thought. Bullets and shrapnel were flying everywhere, the sound was deafening, the air electrifying, but he was ignorant to all these things. He could not hear anything except his pounding heart full of sorrow, and his realization that he could never give a proper goodbye to those he loved. This is probably why, he did not hear the screams, the yelling, warning everyone too take cover, hide wherever any man could.

So as the bomb exploded, he was walking across the battlefield, only one thing on his mind.

Louise.