Through Thick and Thin (Anthony Rizzo)

Face Time

Anthony

It has been a week and a half without power and Internet for Jazmyn. I thought the end of the season was going to be hard enough as is, but without seeing or talking to her it feels impossible. But after what seemed like forever they finally get some connection and I get to text and call her. We finally find some time to facetime and for the first time in a while I feel complete.

"God it feels so good to see your face" I sigh. Her smile shines through the other side of the camera making my heart bang against my chest. Even with her hair pulled back as tight as it goes and in her National guard uniform she was the prettiest sight to see.

"It's good to see you too. I was worried all I was going to have was pictures of you until I saw you again, I don't know what I would have done if that were true" she insists.

"If our covid protocols weren't so strict then I would have been down there to see you by now. But we're so close to winning the division I just can't leave now. And I'm no exception to these covid protocols. It's kept us as the only team to have no positive cases among players so far and I'm not trying to ruin that" I tease.

"As you shouldn't. We're close to being done here so I'm hoping I can be back before your season ends. I haven't watched you play in so long I feel like I'm missing out on so much" she admits.

"Oh trust me, you're not right now" I assure her.

"That bad huh" she questions.

"Lets just say I'm not breaking any records" I smirk.

We sit there and we talk for four hours straight. I felt bad because I know they needed her to be doing stuff but she didn't want to get off the call and neither did I. I haven't seen her in so long and just looking at her made my heart full. She looked as beautiful as ever, even in the face of a disaster. I don't know how much longer I can go with not being able to see her. To hold her in my arms and not just say that everything is going to be okay, but to feel like everything was going to be okay.

"So how are you holding up? Have you gotten to save a bunch of people" I wonder.

"I have, I haven't lost anyone yet. The streams are pretty powerful but we've got a good experienced team out here of people from all over. We were able to work together really well and get people back to land safely" she assures me.

"That's awesome to hear. I'm sure those people are thankful for you" I insist.

"I'm trying my best to be here for them, even after they're safe. Trying to unite families and feed the hungry and give any kind of medical attention I can until the nurses return from a different site.

It's been as easy going as a natural disaster can be. And even though these people and I don't see eye to eye on a lot of beliefs I feel for them. Many of them knew who I was and still respect me despite not agreeing with a lot of things I believe in.

They've all actually been really nice, granted social issues aren't really being discussed here. But they know who I am and what I stand for, maybe they see that all I want to do is help people. That's always been the plan" she explains.

"You're a one of a kind person. Someone years from now will remember you and what you did for this country time and time again. Your name will be in the news again because you're basically captain America and they will speak nothing but the greatest things about you because if it wasn't for you they might not be here" I insist.

"I always wonder what people will say about me when I die. I know, it's a dark thought, but the only thing in life that's guaranteed is death, so it's not that crazy to think about. Will I even be remembered? If I am what was it for? Will it be for laying my life on the line for others? Will it be for being with you? Will it be for what I did at the protest or what I do down here?

I don't like to think about death a lot, I have been around it for entirely too long and it's a part of my reality more times than I care to admit. But as I sit here with these people at the lowest point of their life... I wonder if they'll remember me. I wonder if when I'm gone they'll see me in the news and if they'll remember me, what I'm trying to do here and see how much farther we need to go to get there. To care for others and not just ourselves, even if that means we have to change the way we think entirely.

I guess that's the appeal of a legacy. Like they say in Hamilton, we're planting seeds in a garden we will never get to see. I just hope I touched enough people to fill a garden and that people will water it and give it sunlight so it will continue to grow long after I'm gone" she explains.

"I think you will" I say. "Between what you've done in this pandemic, in the wars, in Pensacola and Chicago and everywhere in between. You've touched hundreds of lives, people think about you and what you've done every single day. Those people who were at that protest are probably praying to god thanking him for having you there that night. I don't think those people at the protest would ever forget you. I don't think those people you're sheltered with will forget you either. I know the guys on the team will always remember you, this organization too.

We can never see our impact on lives because we're so close to one another. But one day we can look back and see all we've accomplished. I have a feeling your not done yet though" I insist.

"Of course not" she smiles. "Though I would be lying if I said I wasn't ready to get out of here so I could see you."

"I would be lying if I said I wanted you to stay there and finish this mission" I agree.

"Well the water had been recessed for a few days and we're cleaning up the city now. It won't be too long before I'm in your arms again" she promises.

"I can't wait" I smile.