Today's the Day

           Today's the day. It seems like I have been counting down the days for what seems like ages. The announcements have been sent to friends and loved ones. The ceremony is taking place in our hometown, where Justin and I grew up. We were childhood sweethearts and today was our big day.

           Justin and I met on the playground during recess in first grade. I was going down the big twisting metal slide after waiting for what seemed like forever in line. I was half way down when I collided into him; he was trying to climb up it.  I yelled at him for being a stupid boy and for being in the way.  Justin just smiled while trying to retain his laughter. I asked him what was so funny and he said, "I can see your pink underwear", as he burst into laughter.  I pushed him out of the way and never wore a dress to school again. After that "incident" Justin was constantly trying to "ruffle my tail feathers" and I would constantly try to get him in to trouble.  In the end, we would both get in trouble and have to be escorted back home by a neighbor that caught us in the act.

           Sitting in my bedroom at my parent's house, I look at myself in the mirror. I got up extra early to do my hair in loose curls, just the way he likes it. "Today's the day," I say with a sigh. I had just asked my mother to leave so that I could be alone with my thoughts while I finished putting my make-up on. I pull my dress from the closest and slowly put it on. It fits like a glove.  Walking over to my jewelry box, I pull out the pearls my grandmother gave me on my 18th birthday. She said that they had been given to her on her 18th birthday and they now belonged to me.

            Gran always knew Justin and I would end up together. When I was little, I always told her that it was never going to happen, that we hate each other. That all changed when we entered middle school. It was the first day at a new school and over the summer my body became awkward. I was trying to open my new locker again, when a group of older boys came over to me and started to give me a hard time about my looks and fuzzy yellow headband. Justin walked right up to them and told them to leave me alone.

After the confrontation, I thanked Justin and he said, "No problem, that's what friends do." "We're friends?" I responded.

"Of course, I wouldn't get in trouble with just anybody," Justin said. "Oh, by the way, I like your headband."  To this day, I still don't know how Gran knew we would end up together. Smiling, I clasp the strand of pearls behind my neck.

         Justin and I spent lots together after that monumental day in middle school. We started to spend more time with each other. In high school we had our own social groups, Justin the football star and quite popular with the ladies and I was still as quirky as ever.  Our differences in social circles did not keep us apart or out of trouble. Once in high school, we dyed grumpy, old man McCoy's lawn in school colors the week of homecoming. Mr. McCoy caught us in the act and we thought that we were seriously busted. Instead, Mr. McCoy started laughing and said it was the best prank he had ever had done to his house and that we should finished what we started so that the yard did not look half-ass when the sheriff drove by in the morning.  We were so shocked that I swear the world stopped moving.

          None of the kids in town had ever heard Mr. McCoy laugh, let alone think he was capable of it. After the "lawn incident", Justin and I would stop by to visit from time to time. He would tell us about his youth and his deceased wife Maggie, the love of his life.  After our time together, he would always tell Justin to look after me because I was "the one".  We would shrug the comment off, telling Mr. McCoy that we were just friends.  He would just smile at us, shake his head and say, "one day kids, you'll figure it out".

           Next, I grab my favorite blue hairpin and pull some of my hair out of my face. I had swiped it from mom's dresser when I was getting ready for our first "official" date. We were both 16 and I had never been on a date before.  Justin rang the doorbell for the first time ever and Dad answered it not expecting anyone at the door.  Justin was all dressed up in his Sunday best and told my father that he was here to pick me up for our date. That left my father in a state of shock. He never expected that Justin, his daughter's best friend, would be taking his baby out on a date. It was not until mom came to the door and brought him back to reality that he closed his mouth.  Running down the steps, I grabbed Justin's hand, shouting to my parents that I would be back before curfew. Justin was a complete gentleman that night and I as nervous as hell.  After dinner, he drove me home and walked me to the door, giving me a kiss goodnight.  I knew at that moment that he was the one for me.

          Lastly, I pull out the gift that Justin gave me the last night I saw him. I put it on over my head and tucked it into my shirt order to keep it close to my heart.  My mom pops her head in the door, "Honey, its time to go. Your father is waiting for you in the car." It's a short drive to the small white washed church that I have been attending my whole life.  I step out of the car and my father grabs hold of my arm as we walk towards the church.

          The time has finally come for me to walk down the aisle. The doors open and the first person I see in the sanctuary is Justin, waiting for me at the alter.  Everyone is looking as me as I walk down the aisle. The entire town came out for the event that is sure to be the word on the street for weeks. When my father and I finally arrive at the end of the aisle, I let go of his arm and look at my fiance knowing that the time has come.  I reach out to touch his face, making sure that this was not a dream. I keep hoping that his eyes would open up and that we would do what we had planed to do in this exact location.  His eyes don't open and I slowly fall to my knees, grasping at my chest.  I am not wearing a beautiful white gown like I had planned for this moment.  I reach into my dress and pull out his dog tags.  As I look at them I begin to weep. He always wanted to enlist in the military, just like his father and grandfather.  Right before he left for his deployment, he promised me he would return in one piece and he kept his promise. However, I should have had him promise me that he would come back alive.

          I weep as I think about all the times we spent together and the plans we had for the future. After I finished school, we were planning on raising a family right here in our hometown.  We were going to grow old together and sit on our front porch and watch our children play in the yard.  I am so deep in thought and so over come with emotion that I don't even realize that there is a pair of old, firm hands on my shoulders. I look up and see old man McCoy. I look into his eyes and I know that he understands my pain, the pain that only comes with loosing the most important person in your life. Mr. McCoy slowly lifts me up off the floor and leads me over to my parents so that the service can begin. Throughout the entire service I sit there staring at my engagement ring on my hand and then look back up at the coffin. I do not even hear what the minister is saying and before I know it the service is over and I follow the crowd towards the cemetery on the outskirts of town.

            In the cemetery, Justin's coffin is waiting for us before it is to be lowered into the cold, hard ground. As I am standing right up front next to Justin's parents, I stare at the American flag draped over the coffin. Justin loved his country and I know he would have been proud to die for it. I feel the tears start up again and I do my best to keep them at bay. Justin wouldn't want me to cry, he hated when I cried. He never knew how to deal with a crying girl.

I take a deep breath as the minister gives a final blessing.  Before I know it the American flag above his coffin is folded into a triangle and handed to his parents. This time I can't stop the tears, I now realize that this is the last time I will see my Justin.  I wipe my eyes and see Justin's father standing in front of me. He says, "This flag belongs to you sweetheart".  I shake my head no in response.  "You might not have been his wife yet, but you have always been his girl.  He would have wanted you to have it".  I take to flag into my arms and hold onto it like my life depended on it.  

         I stand there accepting hugs and apologies from friends and the crowd begins to thin as people say their last goodbyes.  They will all be heading over to Justin's house to eat the sadness away.  I tell my family that I will walk home, needing some time to myself.  After everyone has left the cemetery, I walk up to the coffin to say goodbye to the love of my life.  I stare down at the ring on my finger, at the promise he made to me, when I hear footsteps coming up from behind me.  I turn around and for the second time that day, Mr. McCoy was standing there.  He gives me a small smile and then said, "Don't worry my dear, he will still be looking after you. He made me a promise after all." I smile for the first time in days as I wrap my arms around Mr. McCoy.   "Let's get going. I know for a fact there is pie waiting for us and I for one am not going to miss it," states Mr. McCoy as he takes hold of my hand and leads me to his car.  I take one last look back at Justin and smile.   Mr. McCoy's right, Justin will always be there looking out for me just like he always has.