The Purple Heart

Prologue

Henry was laughing and running around the house chasing the kids, Annie and Jack. René just laughed and said, "Don't wear your dad out too much. He's got to have some strength and energy left for when he goes to Afghanistan in a week." She said, smiling, while she was busy washing up the supper dishes, but inside she was hurting, terribly. She had been desperately begging Henry not to go back, but all he told her in response was that he had to leave to serve his country and protect his family from the enemies over seas. She had responded selfishly by telling him that he had already served his country and his family needs him more anyway, she only told him this because she didn't want him to leave again, he just stormed away. He was staring in the eye of death the first he went overseas, but now it felt like he was going to get slapped or worse by his fellow friend, Death! His chances had already seemed thin, now his odds were just thinner. René was terrified. She couldn't lose her love, her life, the loving father to her loving children, her husband. They had been together since her sophomore year and he was a junior. Four years later, they married when she was nineteen and he was twenty. It was a stupid thing to do, yes, they were both young, but they knew from then on that they would love each other for the rest of their years.

She still remembered what it was like when he came home. René had just put the children to bed for their nap and opened a book. She heard a heavy car door slam shut. It had been about a year since Henry had left for Iraq. She lifted her head, threw her book down on the floor softly, and sprites to the front door! She opened it with more strength than she knew she even had! She could hardly believe her eyes! She saw him! Her husband of six years was truly there, smiling and walking toward the door carrying his huge, military duffle bag from the SUV down the long pathway to the front door and she ran to him crying and jumped on him. He dropped his bag and responded to her by grabbing her and holding her tight and even Henry, himself, had began sobbing. They were kissing each other frantically and embracing each other like it would be the last. Annie and Jack weren't far behind. They ran outside, also crying tears of joy, and jumped onto their dad too.

"Family!" Henry exclaimed joyously through tears and kisses. Even the family dog, Rosco, ran outside and he was whimpering and licking the whole family.

Now Henry is going back overseas and putting himself and his family through this again, but this time he may unfortunately be serving from three months all the way up to three years! She began crying silently and smiling because of the memory.

Chapter One

René woke up crying in the middle of the night. She had been having the same dream every night since she opened the door to a soldier she didn't recognize. She still remembered every tiny little detail.