Letters Back Home

Chapter Two

My alarm went off and as I looked over I realized it was 5:45.

"Time for school." I mumbled to myself. I stretched in the empty bed and rolled to lay in Nick's spot. I couldn't help but miss him, I wished he would come home if not for me than for the safety of being back home. I got up after stretching and put on my robe and slippers. I walked to the kitchen and I filled the Keurig with a cup for tea and water but didn't start it. I then walked back to my room to take a shower.

Standing there for 15 minutes just letting the warm water run over me, tears fell from my eyes. I couldn't believe that it had only been two days ago when I had to say good bye. After I had finished my shower, I walked to my closet and picked out my usual. A nice blouse with black slacks. I buttoned my shirt then headed into the kitchen with my hair wrapped in a towel. I pressed the button on the Keurig to start my tea then walked around the corner to the living room. I searched for the remote until eventually finding it hidden away in one of the couch cushions. I flicked on the TV and turned the channel to the news. I found out about a car crash on the north bound highway from early this morning and then was struck with the news I cared most about.

The headline reading "Afghanistan pulls troops from bomb attack." My heart rose to my throat and I watched as the smoke rose from a desert plain on my television screen. I wanted to call Nick and see how he was but I couldn't. Calls were rewarded. I wanted so badly for him to hold me in his arms and tell me that everything would be okay but I couldn't because he was fighting for our country's freedom.

I proceeded to watch the news as I spun my wedding ring around my finger(a habit I had come across when I became nervous). When I had heard the beep of my Keurig I stood from the couch not letting my eyes leave the screen until halfway to the kitchen. I grabbed my cup from the machine and made my way back over to the television where I learned that Afghan soldiers had placed a bomb in a nearby town where the U.S. soldiers were scheduled to set down communications. Tears escaped my eyes as wonder of whether my husband was safe ran through my head.

There was no way to know until he called sometime. I had my phone always on the loudest volume there was and any call I received was answered with immediate haste. I needed my husband to be alright. I brought my tea and phone into the bathroom with me as I went to blow dry my hair. As I was heating the curling iron I decided I would settle for a ponytail, my nerves at the moment couldn't stay in one place long enough to curl my hair so I turned it off before it could get too hot.

I pulled my hair back into a ponytail and started what little makeup I wore on my face. My phone rang next to my hand and I just about stabbed my eye with the mascara brush as I shook from the fright the ringer gave me.

Setting my brush back down I looked at who was calling. It was Summer, since Garrett deployed the other day I'm sure she needed to talk after seeing the news this morning.

"Hey. How are you holding up sweety?" I answered. I could tell she was crying and needed me to just talk to her. "Listen sweety, everything is going to be okay, alright? He is fine and we need to just hope the best for both of them okay? We won't get anywhere if we think the worst of the situation. I'm sure that they are both just fine and need us to be strong for them." I repeated reassuring thoughts to her over the phone and as I spoke tears were escaping my eyes as well. I was giving a pep talk for the both of us. When I finally heard her voice mumble over the speaker I listened.

"I just..I need to know... I need to know if he is alright and this is killing me..." She sobbed over the phone. I looked up at myself in the mirror and then at the clock on the wall. It was now 6:30. I needed to start heading towards school.

"Yeah I know sweetheart. We both do but right now we need to just trust that they will get back to us and they will be safe." When I said the words over the phone I quickly put the phone on speaker and set my phone down. I then quickly finished my makeup, making sure to put on the waterproof stuff first so I didn't have to worry about tearing up again.