Moments after Tanner left, Amy ran out the door and watched his car disappear in the distance, Aj nowhere in sight. She realized that this would most likly be the end. Slowly, she turned and headed back into the house. With her head hanging low, she noticed something on the ground right outside of the door. Curiosity over took the pain and guilt that resided in her heart. This curiosity caused her to kneel and pick up this unknown item. Suddenly, she realized what this item was: the heart. Aj's heart. She tried to reconnect it with the charm on her bracelet, but tha magenet was gone. It was broken. She tried glue, reconcealment and magnets but nothing seemed to work.
Amy hung her head in shame as she slowly walked back into the house, closing the door gently behind her. She layed the broked charm, along with her charm bracelet, on the mantle above the fireplace. She began to think. Why did this happen to her? How could she fix everything? Could everything even be fixed? After constantly pacing back and forth, she finally grew the courage to call Aj. After seven nervous rings, a discouraged Amy quickly gained hope as a distant voice answered on the other end.
"Hello?" Aj had answered. By the tone of his voice, it was obvious that he knew it was Amy.
"Aj! Is that really you?" Amy asked in astonishment.
"Yes, it's me. Now, what do you want?" He asked, clearly annoyed.
"Aj, I thought you were dead. How could you still be living? A priest and a USMC Colonel came to the door and told me you were reported KIA. How can this be?" Amy didn't even stop to let him answer the questions as they flowed from her lips. Amy suddenly stopped talking and started to sob quietly.
"Amy, please. Calm down. Shh, everything is alright. I'm still alive. I was never KIA. I was captured by the enemy, and they released me after they recieved ransom from a foreign country. I've been at the motel down the street for two days, preparing to reunite with you. Then I come home to...whatever that was." Aj's voice obviously showed that, even though he knew what had happen in his absence, he still loved her. Amy continued to question him, only to get reasonable and explainable answers. After constand begging and pleading for him to return home so they could talk face to face, he finally agreed to come home the next day.
Amy went to sleep that night, happy.
Her love was alive.
Amy woke up early the next day and knew that this was her one and only chance to prove her love for Aj still remained unbroken. She showered and readied herself for the very emotional rollercoaster she was about to board. She cleaned her house, cooked dinner, and had just enough time to put on a dash of lip gloss. She was beautiful. She was ready. The time approached when Aj was to return home, but he never showed up. The candles melted and the food got cold, but Amy didn't care. She blew out what was left of the candles, grabbed the car keys, and aped down the street, headed for the motel.
Aj's failure to arrive home caused a feeling to trigger from deep down inside Amy's heart. A feeling she was afraid of . . .
Fear.
