Purple Heart | Demi Lovato

1

Demi

Waiting is the worst part. Every moment of my life had been waiting. I wait for the black car to pull up, a man in dress blues to get out, walk up to my door, and tell me my husband is dead.
I wait for letters from him, to somehow let me know that he's okay.

The phone rang loudly, and I rushed to it. I hadn't received my letters from Wilmer in two weeks. Two weeks of not knowing if he was okay.

"Hello?"

"Mrs. Valderrama? This is Colonel Mark Briggs from The United States Marine Corp. I have new about your husband, Sergeant Wilmer Valderrama."

I felt my heart drop into my stomach, my eyes sliding shut as I leaned again the wall for support. "Yes?"

"He performed a heroic act of getting all of his company out of enemy fire. He carried six injured men to safety in heavy fire." There was a pause. "He was shot three times, ma'am."

"Oh my God." I whispered, clutching my chest. "Please, no."

"He's alive, and will receive an honorable discharge. There is talk about him receiving awards for his actions."

I felt the relieve soar through me. "He's coming home?"

"Yes, ma'am. He's getting on a plane in two days."

Today would be my last day of waiting.

I'm standing in the airport, my eyes locked on the arrival gate. Every tear, every night spent alone, every nightmare and prayer I had sent up to God had prepared me for the this moment, the moment I could hold him in my arms and never let him go. He would never walk out of the door with me wondering if it would be the last day I laid eyes on him.

Then I saw him.

He wore civilian clothing, with his left arm in a sling, but I could recognize him absolutely anywhere.

"WILMER!"

Ignoring the stares around me, I began to run towards him, a huge smile on my face when he met my gaze.

"There's my girl!" He hugged me with one arm and lifted me up, spinning me around in a circle. I held on tightly around his neck, sobbing into his skin. "Baby, I'm here. Don't cry."

"I was so scared." I whispered, kissing his neck. "I was so scared, Wilmer."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"Never leave again."

His arm tightened around me as my toes touched the floor. "Never."

We drove home in the Wilmer's pickup truck. With one hand on the steering wheel and the other resting on my thigh, we rolled the windows down and sang to every song on the radio. I kept getting emotional every time I had the realization that he actually was back for good, and each time Wilmer would just flash his smile and rub my leg, knowing nothing he could say would stop me.

Once we got home Wilmer hefted his duffel bag over his shoulder and jogged around to my end to open my door, smiling softly as I slipped out of the leather seat to the ground.

"Are you excited to see Zeus?" I laughed, raising one eyebrow.

"I don't know who's more excited, him or me."

I shook my head as I heard the loud barking from inside. "Definitely Zeus."

I opened up the front door to the house and out sprinted our German Shepherd, Zeus. He barreled right up to Wilmer, barking and yelping as he licked his face and jumped into Wilmer's arms.