Sequel to Dear Nick. This story continues where Dear Nick left off, in the epilogue. If you haven't read Dear Nick, read it to see how they began. Their love is deep & pure, having been perfect since they finally got on the same page. Now, their per...
Zac walked into the living room & pulled something out of his jacket pocket. "These are my credentials, in case you don't believe me." He said as he showed me his ID for the L.A. Times. I nodded, looking at them, then he showed my mom. She responded the same way I did, like we didn't need to see anything to believe him & he put his wallet back in his jacket.
He flashed my mom a warm smile as he introduced himself, shaking her hand, then he looked at me. "What do you want to talk about regarding my husband?" I asked, walking further into the room.
"He's a local hero & now that he's been killed in that attack, I feel like there's a story there. I think people should know what kind of man he was. There have been several publications, discussing all the victims in that attack, but I want to focus on just your husband. He has a remarkable story. I mean he got out of the marines, after the explosion he was in & then he went back in, so he could train men & gets killed in the process. That's a story, in my opinion. I didn't want to come to you too soon, after losing him & I understand if you aren't ready to speak about him, just yet." Zac looked down, watching me from under his lashes. He was even more handsome than I realized at first & he was quite the charmer.
"Please sit down. Would you like something to drink?" My mom offered.
"I'm fine, ma'am, thank you." Zac answered, sounding like quite the gentleman as he sat.
"Well, I will leave you two to talk." Mom smiled at me, then left the room.
I sat down on the couch, near the chair, Zac had sat in. He leaned on his hand, watching me carefully. "I met your husband at his celebration, several years ago. I was assisting a journalist who was covering the event for the paper. I talked to him a little & heard conversations that told me how remarkable of a man your husband was. I'm truly sorry for your loss."
"Thank you." I replied, looking down at my hands.
"I haven't been a real journalist for very long. My boss doesn't even know I'm doing this piece. I'm hoping this will give me some clout because I'm hoping this story will get picked up nationally. Your husband is a true war hero, dying, doing what he loved doing. He left behind a family & he wasn't even in combat. I just really want to tell his story, if you'll help me."
"What do you need my help for?" I asked, looking over at him as I leaned my arm on the back of the couch. The way he smiled at me, made me smile. I really was drawn to this guy & I thought maybe he & I could become friends.
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"I don't want facts that I can get online. I want us to just have conversations about him. I don't want it to be me asking all the questions & you answering them. I want real stories of what kind of man he was. Like the ones I heard at his hero's celebration. I want to know his thoughts & his dreams. I want to know what kind of husband he was & who better to tell me all that I want to know than his wife." Zac lifted his head up, motioning toward me with his hand & took a deep breath. "I was truly touched by your husband when I met him & talked to him, briefly. He was so humbled, by that party, that was for him & he was so kind to everyone. I told him about my older brother, who had died a few years before then, in the middle east & he was so amazing to me, telling me how my brother died doing what he loved & that he was doing what he was put on this earth to do. For some reason, his words gave me some peace. I don't know... it just hits close to home for me & I really don't want your husband to just be another name on some plaque somewhere or on a scroll across the CNN channel." His eyes met mine & I saw the sincerity in them.
