Nick Vaughn and Caroline Woods were high school sweethearts and had been dating since the 9th grade. Two weeks after their high school graduation, Nick enlisted in the Army and was sent off to war in Afghanistan.
After being gone for a year, he was...
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Wedding planning was much more stressful than I thought. There was just so much to decide on and so little time. I mean, there's the guest list, hiring the photographers and the caterers, deciding on and mailing invitations, getting the dress, planning the honeymoon, and booking a florist. And that's not even close to the end of my to-do list! It was just so hard to do all of this on my own, but I knew in the end, it would be worth it.
Next month, I get to marry the man of my dreams. Finally, my fairy-tale ending will come true. Nick and I met the very first day of high school. I was going to my last class and someone bumped into me, causing me to drop all of my books. It was Nick. He was probably the cutest thing I had ever seen. He had short, brown hair and icy, blue eyes. He was also rather tall, around six foot three, I suppose, and when our eyes met, something just clicked... He apologized multiple times as he helped me pick up my things, "I'm so, so sorry, ma'am! I should have been watching where I was going," I remember him saying.
'Ma'am' was what really made me smile. He was so polite and friendly, it kind of caught me off guard. Turns out, he was heading for the same class as I was. And that day, our English teacher, Mrs. Evans, put us all in assigned seats. That was when I got to learn this mystery man's name.
Nickolas Vaughn.
She put us in alphabetical order and I was somewhat glad she did. I didn't know anyone in the class and since my last name was Woods, I knew I would be in the back row, just the way I liked it. "Alexandria Wilder, Caroline Woods, and Nickolas Vaughn, you have the last three seats." She said.
Nick smiled at me as we took our seats. If I remember correctly, that was the very first time I had ever felt butterflies in the pit of my stomach, and if it weren't for Mrs. Evans and her seating arrangements, I don't know if Nick and I would have ever spoken to each other again.
After the first week of school, I knew almost everything about him. He was a football player, he wanted to join the Army, he loved music, his favorite color was blue, his parents were Italian, and he was the only child, as was I.
Pretty soon we were inseparable and the rest is history.
I smiled, thinking back to my first days with him. It was probably bad to say, but I couldn't remember a single memory of high school that he wasn't in. To this day, my best friend, Heather, complains at how much time I spent with him, but I couldn't help it. I mean, don't you remember the first time you fell in love? It's like all you want to do is be around that person and when you're not, nothing seems right.
Once my daydream ceases, I pull myself together and begin looking over the seating arrangements for the wedding... I had been looking over these for the past hour and if I didn't make a decision soon, I was pretty certain that I would lose my mind. I had most it figured out but I couldn't decide where to put Nick's Aunt. The only open spot was beside his parents and I wasn't so sure if that was a good idea. I knew his mother wasn't too fond of her, but surely they could pull it together for our wedding...
Right?
I sighed loudly and stood from the kitchen bar. I just wasn't sure what to do and there was no way I was going to make this decision. I would just have to wait until Nick got a chance to call and ask him. He would know what to do, he always did.
This was certainly one of those times that I wished he was here. I missed him more and more each day, but even more so now. Most brides hire a wedding planner and relax until their wedding day, but not me. I wanted everything to be perfect and the only way that was going to happen, was if I saw to it myself. Nick always made things seem less stressful and I couldn't tell you how many times he's kept me from having a mental breakdown.
"You still haven't decided?" I heard Heather groan from behind me as I turned in surprise. Apparently, almost scaring someone into a heart attack is funny because she sure found it comical. "Oh my gosh!" She cried in between spurts of laughter. "If you could have seen your face! It was priceless!"
I rolled my eyes. "Remind me to take that key away from you... And how did you come in without me hearing you?"
She smiled. "I'm silent but deadly, just like a cheetah." Heather was usually ridiculously funny and rarely made any sense, but we had known each other for over 10 years, and I guess, that's what made us special. She was always that one person that I could count on to do anything for me and no matter what the situation, she would always make me smile. But that's what best friends are for, right?
"Now, seriously, you still haven't decided on the seating arrangements?" She asks as we get settled at the bar. When I shrug, she shakes her head and takes my planner. Her eyes widen as she looks at my to-do list. "Caroline Woods! You mean to tell me that you haven't decided on anything but the colors and decorations? What about the invitations, the catering, the cake? Heck, what about the dress?"
I crack a smile. "We have a lot to do today, huh?"
She may have been a little upset with me, but she knew I was trying. Doing everything on my own was hard and today would likely be chaos, but she would help me. I knew she would because she knows how much I love Nick and this will be our dream wedding, even if I lose my mind in the process.
She smiles. "Okay, okay, I get it! What do you want me to do?"
I try to hold back my grin. I knew she couldn't say no to me. "Well, could you print some invitations off while I call the caterer?" I ask and smile, shyly.
She acts as if she has to think it over. "Whatever you say."
I roll my eyes as I hand her my laptop. As I start to grab my phone, the doorbell rings. Heather looks at me, smirking. "What?" I ask as I get up to answer the door.
"Exactly how many other people did you call to help you?"
"No one, just you..." I walk into the foyer and swing the door open. I couldn't believe what was standing before me... Two men dressed in uniform.
"Are you Ms. Woods?" One of them asks.
I nod in response.
"The Department of the Army sends its condolences in this difficult time." He adds, handing me a sealed envelope. I tear it open as I hear Heather come up from behind me.
"What in the world..." She mutters.
I pull out the single sheet of paper and read:
June 12th, 2012
Dear Ms. Woods,
The Department of the Army deeply regrets to inform you, that your fiancé, Private First Class Nickolas Vaughn U.S Army, was killed in action in the performance of his duty and in the service of his country.
The department sends you the greatest of sympathy in your troubled time.
Sincerely,
General James K. Wilson
Chief of Army Personnel
And with those two, short sentences, my life came tumbling down.
