Seven Letter Words #Wattys2016

Epilogue

Liam

I pass through the front gates of the base and make a right at the first stop sign. I've been doing this for years now, but knowing I'm getting closer to the last time I'll ever make this drive has my heart clenched in my chest. I watch the flags flying high over the grassy field where I've been spending lot of Sunday afternoons so that Juliet can get some much needed down time. It's hard being a military wife. It's really hard when you're doing it right.

I glance at the passenger seat and still can't believe I have that large yellow envelope. It's going to change everything. Juliet has no idea. I set my hand on top of it, knowing how powerful the pages beneath my palm truly are and how many years of dedication and sacrifice have been summed up in one important document. It almost makes my stomach sick.

Our small house on base is three in from the third stop sign in base housing. I remember our first apartment off base, then our first move into a small two-bedroom house on base. We had been third on the waiting list when I put in for a place behind these gates, but after only six months we were moving. It was perfect for us. Juliet was close to work and of course I didn't even have to leave base to report for duty.

I glance in the rearview mirror to make sure no one is waiting behind me. It's all clear, so I can sit here a while longer, watching the house that my family makes home. Well, at least for a little longer. I know behind that front kitchen window Juliet is making our dinner. There are boxes stacked all over, our entire lives separated into little brown squares. I've had anxiety about it all month. I've felt so guilty I could hardly look her in the eye.

I run my hand over my short hair. Today marked the last day of my eighth year as a Marine. Tomorrow is our sixth year wedding anniversary. There are no plans to celebrate, no babysitter lined up so I can take her out, and no bed for us to lie on together. What we do have is this envelope and inside are separation papers. I take a deep breath and turn onto my street, following the light from our kitchen window. When Ken's truck pulls into the driveway I see Juliet look up from cooking dinner and watch as I park. We thought about getting another car, but neither of us could let this truck go. She can't because it was her brother's, and I can't because it's where we fell in love.

She gives me a tired smile and wipes her forehead with the back of her hand. She's just as beautiful as the first day I saw her. Years have made her features more mature, but there are still many times when she smiles at me or closes her eyes to fall asleep that still take my breath away. I put the truck in park and shut off the engine. I look around the quiet street and try to remember everything about it. This is where we've been raising our family. It's the first house we brought our son Kenneth home to. Sure we had to be on the waiting list again, but having a bigger house to fill with love was worth waiting for.

The front door opens and Ken comes flying out and down the stairs. Behind him, Sean his friend from school emerges. Those two are inseparable. Ken races for the tuck as Sean pretends to hold back enemy fire, his replica rifle clicking away loudly. It makes me chuckle. Juliet stands in the doorway, smiling and shaking her head.

When we had Ken she had shared with me that she worried one day he'd want to be a Marine too. I think that might have added to the postpartum depression she struggled with in the beginning. She also had to work through her decision to name our first born after her brother. I'd left that decision up to her and while I know now it was the best choice, it was hard at first for her to see his name in the nursery and to sing it in the songs she would recite while rocking him. Juliet is the strongest woman I know.

Janie peaks her head around Juliet's leg, watching Ken and Sean running and taking cover over and over again. I step out of the truck and take the envelope with me, holding it close to my chest. It stands out against the camouflage fabric of my uniform. Juliet eyes it suspiciously and my stomach lurches into my throat and then plummets to the bottom of my gut. The decision has been made and there's no turning back now.