Final Goodbyes - Based on Boys of Blood and Bone

Final Goodbyes

Cecelia took a deep breath, walked across the front porch and knocked on Andy's door. She had been avoiding him since he announced that he was going to join the army; she didn't want him to go. The door swung  open and Andy was standing there with his contagious smile and Cecelia couldn't help but smile back.

"I'm so glad you came. I feel like I haven't seen you in ages."

Cecelia looked down at the diary in her hands and clutched it to her chest. She took a deep breath and smile; she needed to be supportive.

"I know. I'm sorry."

Andy leaned down and kissed Cecelia's forehead, "That's alright, you're here now."

The couple wandered across the porch and sat down on a bench seat. Cecelia gripped the diary tighter and looked down Andy's driveway. She knew that she should be spending as much time with him as she could before he went overseas, but she was still upset that he was leaving her in the first place. They had been together for a while now and she was thinking of her future, but it would be completely different if Andy left and never came back.

"What's that in your hands?" Andy's voice jolted Cecelia out of her thoughts and the diary fell to the ground. Cecelia blushed in embarrassment and bent down the retrieve the fallen book.

"Are you feeling alright?" Andy reached across and felt Cecelia's forehead, "What's going on?"

"Nothing. I just..." Cecelia shook her head and held the diary out to Andy, "I wanted to give you this."

Andy took the diary and opened it. He smiled and read the first page aloud, "January 11, 1917. On this day, Cecelia Hainsworth, with all her love, gives this diary to Andy Lansell. May God keep him safe and bring him home to Australia."

Andy put the diary in his lap and tool Cecelia's hands in his own. He smiled, "Cecelia, this is-"

Cecelia had suddenly stood up and turned away from Andy. Tears were running down her face and she didn't want him to see.

"Cecelia? Are you sure that you're feeling alright? What's wrong?"

Cecelia's fists clenched and she spun around to face him, "I just don't understand why you're doing this! Why do you want to leave so much?"

Andy took a step back, shocked. Cecelia was never one to get angry and he had never seen her yell.

Cecelia turned away from him again and started crying again, "Why do you have to go and leave me?"

"This isn't about you Cecelia, you know that," Andy took a step towards her, "I thought you understood."

Cecelia sighed and turned back to face him, "How can I understand when we haven't spoken about it?"

Andy shook his head slowly and sighed, "I know. I should've talked to you about it first. I'm so sorry."

"It's too late now for sorry. You're leaving the country! I may never see you again!"

Andy reached towards Cecelia to comfort her, but she stepped away from him and shook her head.

"You could stay. They already have thousands of soldiers, what difference does one make?"

Andy took another step towards her, "That's just it. I want to make a difference. I want to go protect our country; I want to protect you."

"You can protect me better if you stay here. How can you protect me if you are in a completely different country?"

Andy didn't say anything for a minute; he didn't know how to say what he wanted to.

"If I stay, I'll be the only man who stayed behind. I will be called a coward and no one will believe me when I say that I'm staying for you." Andy sighed, "I want to go. Not just for my friends, not just for you. I want to go to make a difference and protect our country. I want to go because I love you."

Cecelia started sobbing again and fell onto the bench seat.

"Andy, I-"

"It's alright." Andy sat down next to Cecelia and pulled her into his arms, "I know."

"This could be the last time..." Cecelia choked back a sob and looked into Andy's eyes, "I love you too."

Cecelia melted in Andy's embrace and he pulled her closer. They held each other for what felt like an eternity; memorising every little detail about each other. Neither one of them wanting to let go for fear that it would be the last time the ever did.