She's Our Girl

Words mean nothing, not anymore

As promised Captain James picked SJ up after school. SJ day silently in the front of his car fiddling with her dads dog tags. Captain James broke the silence "SJ..." he began
"Please I can't talk about it." SJ replied
"You can darling this is a safe place" captain James put his hand on her leg "I won't be able to get more than a sentence into it before disappearing into a puddle of tears." She said looking at him her sea green eyes glassed over. "SJ so what if you cry, it's okay to be sad!" He replied earnestly "no it's not, because if I'm sad I might cry..... I might cry when I have to be brave" she said looking down, captain James looked concerned "have to be brave? Why do you need to be brave?" He asked puzzled "dad made me promise, I..I have to be brave for mum, I have to look after her... I promised.." SJ replied as her face turned blank "SJ your father wouldn't want you bottle yourself up! Tearing yourself apart!" Captain James Retorted "a soldier never lets they're emotions get in the way!" She replied numbly "but SJ your not a soldier! Your a vulnerable 17 year old girl who's just lost her father!" Captain James coaxed "words mean nothing to me, not anymore." She responded.  Captain James drove to a lake. "Please I can't be here" SJ croaked "SJ I know this is hard I know it is, but you need piece, your mother said you haven't slept properly in months!" Captain James pleaded "please uncle Charlie."
          SJ stepped out of the car the leaves of autumn crunched under her feet "you need closure SJ"
"Which I'll get when I return to his place of death!" She retorted "SJ please!" Captain Replied. "I'm not brave like you are I'm weak! I don't want it fade, I don't want him to fade. It happened and everyone else can pretend that it didn't happen ,but I won't." SJ responded captain James was Speechless "he was is a part of me, that place, Afghanistan is a part of me" she finished. Captain James pulled her into a hug that seemed to last for what seemed like hours, she breathed in and could smell something familiar, her father, she pulled away and looked up as the sunlight clouded Charlie's face and she could see him. She could see Elvis he smiled at her touched her cheek and she could here him "you no longer have to be brave little one, go and live, live for me." SJ smiled and he started to fade "no please don't go dad!" She pleaded "all is well in the world" she heard the words linger around her. When she looked up again she saw the face of her uncle. They shared a smiled.
          Captain James drove her home before she got out the car Captain James spoke "He...Elvis loved you so very much, you were his everything, you are his everything and you always will be." A weakened smile crossed SJ's face.
            That night she did something she hadn't done in months, she slept, she was at piece, the stars had aligned and she dreamt, she dreamt of her father, not a sad dream, not a scary dream. She finally understood, bravery comes in many forms, and she could do it, but she'd still be  aligned with her fathers faith. Her hair Cascaded on the pillow the dog tags in line with her heart, Elvis was her heart.