Wherever You Are

Nine: In His Embrace

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"Why?" I wondered, staring wide eyed at the two story, light blue house presented before me; my breathing becoming short. Shutters of white lined the sides of each of the four windows placed on the house, red curtains peeking through from the inside that matched the bright tulips outside perfectly. 

The cobblestone path leading to our bleached white front door was defined carefully, as same was the trail leading to our lone willow tree in the front. Smiling as I looked closer at the beautiful tree, I noticed the tire swing we both use to laugh about on hanging happily, waiting for our return. Everything was perfect, just like it had been fifteen years ago...

"Keep your eyes closed! It's a surprise!" Jack shouted with a laugh, holding onto my hand and leading me blindly to his destination. "Okay, now open," he whispered in my ear, sending me to giggle and do as told. Gazing up, my eyes set upon a brilliant home of light blue, surrounded by a white picket fence. Grass of bright green and tulips of red coated the yard beautifully, sending me to smile and look to Jack behind me.

"What is this all?" I wondered, his face beaming with excitement before speaking.

"Our home, I just bought it," he smiled, digging out a single key from his pocket and dangling it from his fingers. Mouth open and eyes wide, I smiled even brighter than I had before. "and I know this is big news, but I really hope you are okay with it. I just think a year and a half was long enough living separately and that we should start our lives together sooner than later," he told, making me squeal out in excitement and jump up onto him in an unexpected hug. 

Twirling me around and around, I knew Jack was just as happy as myself, something that was seeming to be getting harder to find in the world. "I love you, I love this," he said, stopping from spinning and adjusting me on his waist to kiss me gently on the lips...

"Why what?" Jack asked me, sending me to look over to him as I was knocked out of my memory. Staring out into the scene, his eyes glistened from small tears that I could tell he was trying hard to hide upon his face. I never knew he was this emotional about our past. I thought to myself, glancing once more back to the scene of our home, before asking what I had been waiting so long to get an answer to.

"Why did you leave me fifteen years ago?" I said soft, barely above a whisper. Moving to gaze upon me instead of our home, Jack turned and landed his tear riddled eyes to mine.

"They needed my help down here; they needed another scientist to carry on the research. It was urgent, if I didn't come the entire race down here would have been gone," he told, swiping away the image of our home and returning it to the pure white windows they used to be. "I had no choice, Charlotte. If I did, trust me, neither of us would be in the position we are today." he ended, facing away from me and walking back into the main living room. Confused, due to not getting the whole story yet, I followed him.

"Why couldn't you have just told me that before you left? It's not like I was some random woman, I was your everything...and you were mine," I gently said to him, looking down in embarrassment as I spoke from my heart for once instead of blocking out all emotions involving Jack.

"I couldn't have told you even if I wanted to. They wanted me swiped from everything, from existence basically. If I told you where I was going, or even told you a lie on where I was going, you would expect me back-"

"Why didn't you just break up with me then? That's better than just leaving me not knowing anything," I cut Jack off, enraged a bit at the way he was speaking to me about the matter.