The Long Trail Home

Cherry's View

Cherry felt like she couldn't breath, the tears blocked the words from leaving her lips. She couldn't believe it... 

James was dead. 

He was killed in that last bombing, a medical officer, killed. He promised her, he swore he would come back. Cherry sobbed harder as James's mother hugged her softly also crying. Cherry looked up at James's father, he was off on his own staring at a letter James had sent not even two weeks before, crying softly. 

Cherry couldn't believe it at first. Dan was crying, and for James. She finally managed out a few words, "I'm so sorry..." She told them softly. 

"I can't believe it! I won't believe it! My son wouldn't go out like that, not with out a goodbye..." Was all Dan could manage out as he stared heart brokenly at the letter. 

There was a knock at the door, a man dressed in a green army uniform had been standing there. "Are you Cherry?" He asked simply. 

"Yes.....Is James really dead?" She asked him calmly whipping away the tears as she looked up to meet the man eyes. 

"Ma'am," he started but Cherry stopped him. 

"The truth.." Cherry told him softly.

"He's been declared missing in action behind enemy lines."  He replied in a voice just as soft. 

Cherry nodded, "Thank you.." She nodded before he left and she shut the door. 

She cried softly as Dan helped her back to the couch and she sat down slowly before saying, "He has to come back...He promised me he'd come back..." Cherry's tears grew quickly and before she knew it she was sobbing and felt like she couldn't breath unable to get any words out as the tears drowned them. But she stood up and retreated to her room at the back of the house, sat on the bed with Ben, her new husband. James had offered for them to stay there after Ben lost his house, and his parents had excepted because James convinced them it was the kind and right thing to do. 

"Sorry Cherry, I know that you felt like James was a younger brother to you." Ben told her. 

"Yes, but I still have you at least." Cherry smiled softly up at him. 

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Sorry about the cliffhanger, the mystery man, and the sad chapter but I thought it would be nice to bring in some other points of view other then James and Nikolai. Thanks for reading and hopefully I will have the next chapter done soon. Also sorry about the short length, seeing as how I'm slowly writing chapter one I will try to make the Chapter Two parts longer.