Gone | hs

Epilogue

Don't read this if you don't want to cry.

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Their love for one another held strong.

Jenna did not return to Afghanistan after Christmas because she apparently was not needed. They took this as a sign to move away from New York. They packed up their memories and moved across the country to Washington state.

The dreary weather didn't keep them down because every Saturday, they would travel for a few hours to surf in the California sunshine.

Five years into their friendship, Harry popped the question and she said yes. They had their fights along the way but they would always come crawling back to each other.

They were married on the beach later that year in August. Harry and Jenna had talked about having kids but you never know with Jenna's duty to serve again at any need and her previous injury that made her almost certain she could never carry.

She was wrong.

They had a beautiful daughter two years later. They named her Sofi. She has brilliant brunette hair from her father and startling grey eyes inherited from her mother. One year passed with Sofi and Harry insisted upon having another.

Christopher was born later that year. He too had startling grey eyes and brown hair.

Nine years after their marriage, Jenna was recalled to Afghanistan. It was a devastating time but she would be back in time for their tenth anniversary.

Harry would Skype Jenna with Chris and Sofi every week and they would pretend that's it not a big deal. Harry was raising these children by himself for a year and he couldn't wait until Jenna returned home to change their smelly diapers.

That day never came.

Jenna died in combat one month shy of her deployment. They were performing a raid on a local prison in search for captured soldiers. She was shot in the shoulder twice and in her stomach once. They were able to pull back and get all the injured to the infirmary but it wasn't enough. She was dying.

She write Harry a letter in that time that he received in the mail the next week.

It read:

Harry,

I'm so sorry. I can't do it. I'm dying. It hurts. I love you. Keep the children safe, I'll watch over them. Make sure they remember me.

I'm so sorry,

Jenna xoxo

The crumpled piece of paper was stained with blood and tears.

The funeral was held that Sunday in a quiet church. Harry was a mess and the place was crawling with paparazzi. He was infuriated and he blew up in front of them until each and every one left. His old friend, Louis, stopped by and Harry talked about her with him for hours.

He eventually mended and kept Jenna strong in his memories. She had pictures of her all over the house.

One day, Sofi asked, "Who is she?" while pointing to their wedding picture. She was young and didn't know it was her mother.

Harry cried.

He always felt her protective shadow over them. She watched over the children just like she said she would.

There was a night when Sofi came running into Harry's bedroom with tears in her eyes. He scooped her up but she insisted he should come with him. Sofi took his hand and ran to her room. She dropped his hand.

"She was just here. Mommy came and visited me." She spoke innocently, unaware of the boundaries between life and death.

Harry tried to hold himself together but he couldn't. He hugged Sofi tighter than ever. She was here.

He seemed relieved over the fact that Jenna was where she was supposed to be and she visited Sofi. He took one giant leap forward and finally packed up her things. He kept some of her clothes and perfumes and other faded memories but he was finally able to move on.

He felt her protective shadow fade overtime and he was scared. He visited her gravesite in Maple Hills, Washington. Upon sight, he sank to his knees and wept over her grave. He's been feeling so alone since she died, even though he has two wonderful children to remind him of her.

He spoke softly, "Don't let me go, because I'm tired of feeling alone."

He thought he felt a hand on his shoulder, just like Jenna always had before. Whenever he was upset, she would lay a hand on his shoulder and help him up.

But that couldn't be true anymore, because Jenna's gone.