Charlie

Chapter One: Homecoming

"Hey, Charlie," I called, making my way over to him to give him a hug.

"Hello, beautiful," Charlie replied, smirking at me.

"Charlie, you know I don't like you calling me that!" I complained.

"Yes, I know Re-Anne, but I can't help that you're beautiful." He replied.

I gave him a tap on his extremely muscular chest. When I saw Charlie that morning, he held me in such a tight embrace that it felt as if all the time we spent apart was being made up for in that one hug.

"Charlie, you're going to squeeze the life out of me," I told him, practically choking in his embrace.

"Sorry, Re-Anne," he apologized, "it's been a few years since I last saw you. And I have to say, you've become even more beautiful since the last time I saw you. How could I have stayed away for so long?"

I punched him in his chest and acted like that hurt. I rolled my eyes in annoyance and went to go pack my car. I saw that Charlie was looking at me from the front porch as I was adding more things to my car. I was packing up my car because I was leaving to go to the college of my dreams, Brown University, to be exact. It wasn't that far away from home, but I really couldn't drive back and forth every day.

"What are you doing, Re-Anne?" Charlie asked, suddenly behind me.

"I'm packing up my car, Charlie" I answered simply.

"I see that Re-Anne, but what are you doing with all that stuff?" He asked. "Are you moving out?"

"Eventually, Charlie," I told him, "I can't live with my parents forever."

"Hey, I don't live with my parents." He replied, "I visit them occasionally when I'm on leave."

"So, I take it you're on leave?" I asked.

"I'm, here right?" He replied with a smirk.

"Charlie, I'm going to punch you" I replied, watching him stifle a laugh.

"I'd like to see you try." He said, flexing his muscles.

I wasn't going to lie, but he looked good. Maybe even really good, but he wasn't enough to make my heart flutter.

"So, how long are you on leave?" I asked him.

"I'm done," Charlie said.

"It's really been four years?" I stood there and looked at him, trying to count the years on my hand. One, two, three . . . four. I guess he was right.

"I heard you were taking a year off since your graduation," Charlie said.

"Who told you that?" I looked at him with disbelief.

"My mother," he replied simply, "duh."

"Oh, yeah. She lives close by, right?" I asked. We both laughed.

Before I could open my mouth, Charlie beat me to the punch. "Do you want to go out for dinner and a drink tonight?"

"Charlie, I'm only 18," I told him, "I can't drink yet."

"Oh, your parents won't mind if they know that you're with me." He replied simply.

That was surprisingly true. They trusted Charlie with my life and so did I. I was sure more now that he was a veteran.

My father always wanted to have a son, but my parents were still very lucky to have me. I was their miracle baby. My mother was soon diagnosed with endometrial cancer after my birth. She wasn't able to have any more children after me. Life gave her another opportunity to live, but she had to sacrifice her womb.