The Lost Soldier

Finally Home

Tears ran down my face as I sat next to my fragile grieving mother. "Dad I wish you were still here, I miss you daddy" I sniffled as warm tears rolled down my face. A uniformed soldier squeezed my shoulder reassuringly as he placed the folded red, white, and blue flag on my mom's black clad lap. My aunt Peggy hugged my mother whose been drifting in and out of a daze for weeks, her usually rosy cheeks were gaunt and her milky white skin seemed an ash gray. But her eyes slightly cleared as she came back to earth, with a silent tear rolling down her cheek she weakly cradled the flag against her heart. As the funeral came to an end and the last ceremonial shots rang out, storm clouds gathered and rain started sprinkling. Everyone began to stand from their seats and herd each other into various cars, I stood shakily from my seat and stood in front of the newly lowered casket six feet deep in the ground. The sprinkle of rain slowly fastened into big drops of water slamming into the newly shoveled dirt where the casket had once been. "Areum, sweetheart it's time to go" Uncle Steve called from the vehicle, I fell to my knees and cried as memories of my father danced around my head. The day he first taught me to dance, playing tag until we ran out of breath, and watching Star Wars together every night when he was home from tours. He called me his little Leia, he'd even braid my long hair into little buns and save me from the Storm Troopers. I heaved as I cried, even being so young I knew part of me was buried with that casket. I only hoped it wasn't the best part of me, I kneeled shaking and looking into the hole where a part of my childhood now lay unmoving and lifeless. I felt hands on my waist and I gripped the wet slippery grass in my fists, I didn't want to go. "Let me go!" I sobbed struggling against the warm body that pulled me from the muddy earth "I don't wanna GO!" I kicked and screamed as the person finally pulled me into their arms.
"You're gonna catch a cold genius" I looked up at Beckett Stark the son of the soldier that gave the flag to my mom and my best friend. I sobbed harder and let him pull me towards my Uncle's car.

(11 years later)

"Ari did you know that Beckett Stark would be coming home?" Lanie asked jumping up and down with giddiness which made her pixie cut bounce.
"Nope" today our whole class went to the airport to welcome home Beckett Stark my best friend that graduated last year. We snapped to attention as a tall gorgeous young man that was about 6'3 walk out of the landing doors. He wore a digital camo uniform with the name Stark stitched into it, he wore tan combat boots, and a digital camo hat that covered his midnight black hair. His emerald green eyes sparkled with mischief and mirth from under his hat. I rubbed my eyes these no way in hell thats my man, no way when Beck left he was still an adorable kid that was super lanky and had a ghost of muscle tone. I pinched myself that's not my man, is it? Sarah Jones his girlfriend that graduated with him last year tossed herself into his arms, kinda like a dollar store version of Lois Lane (except in this version Superman's clumsy and drops her *insert evil laugh*) I rolled my eyes, analysis confirmed that's my man. I mean I'm his best friend but I don't go around throwing myself at him. I don't throw myself at anyone in general, well except that time when I tried a part time job at Gary's and accidentally tripped on my roller skates causing me to dump a whole order of cold clam chowder on that poor man. I ended up falling into his lap too, so if that counts, then by all means I've thrown clam chowder and myself at a guy before. Poor sod didn't even see it coming (I'm Batman! *cue theme music.*) I mean sure Beckett wrote letters to me and I wrote back to him but I just didn't know him as well as I did back then. Right? Right? a person can change in a couple of years.
"Where's Areumie?!" he looked genuinely concerned. Welp, I guess he did read my letters. I understand why he's worried, considering in my latest letter I wrote that it was getting harder and harder to hold on. Lanie 'accidentally' pushed me out of the crowd of gawking students. Beckett studied me, his eyes were critically analyzing everything from a misplaced hair to a scratch on my ankle. Sarah was still glued to his torso trying and failing to get his attention. She was like a dog needing constant attention and confirmation that said partner was still alive. He just brushed her off like a dust bunny and gripped my face turning it every which way to check for who knows what. And then he crushed my poor face into the hard planes of his built chest. If I wasn't injured before I am now, what happened to his soft marshmallow chest, I'm pretty sure I'm .03 seconds away from my face getting crushed like a grape. I desperately tapped his back "can't.." I heaved "breathe... crushing me" he released his hold on me a little and I took in a big gulp of air. Beckett laughed "stop being dramatic" I looked up at him with a look of disapproval "stop being a Hulk." He shot me a dimpled grin and started flexing his biceps and I swatted at him laughing. I smiled at his antics as it finally hit me like a bullet train, my best friend was back.