she didn’t know how. “I’m really sorry, Henry. I had no idea,” she said. “I just hope someday you’ll won’t have to choose between your career and your family. Especially in your line of work, your family will always come second.”
I pulled away, not sure how to take her words. “I will never be like you,” I said, even though I knew her words held a grain of truth. The military would always come first as long as I was in the service.
“I hope not.” She let me go with a sigh. “I’ll make you a promise, Henry. If you ever have children, I will be the best grandmother to them. I will always be there for them. You can count on that.”
Dad stood up and nodded. “Me too.”
“You hate kids,” I said to him with too much venom.
“It might change,” he said noncommittally.
I just shook my head and left because I had nothing left to say. I had aired my grievances and they had said their piece. There was no building of the bridges; the islands had drifted too far apart. For now, we would just yell at each other across the divide and hope that the message gets across.
16
Elsie came to me in a dream last night.
I woke up this morning with her naked body in my arms. Some time in the night, she’d snuck in through my bedroom window and climbed into bed with me. I’ll spare you the details, Doc, but damn, it was the best possible way to wake up.
God, I love that girl. She keeps me on my toes. She makes me laugh, makes me crazy, makes me insanely happy. I honestly don’t know what I’d do with myself if she weren’t in my life. I wouldn’t be the man that I am today, that’s for sure.
Our mothers found us in bed together. Luckily we were under the covers but there’s no mistaking what she was doing in my bed. The cat was out of the bag. I guess, eventually, they had to know about Elsie and me. I just never imagined that’s how they’d find out.
They were all in the dining room when Elsie and I emerged from my bedroom, all looking so amused. I didn’t know why I was so nervous since I’m a grown-ass man and Elsie is an adult, but my knees were shaking when the Colonel stood up and walked up to us. When he lifted his hand, I swear, I thought he was going to punch me. I would have deserved it. I was boning his daughter after all.
The Colonel just gave me an approving slap on the shoulder and said that he knew I would take care of his daughter, that I was a good man.
That just killed me—his complete trust in me. Here I thought he was going to berate me for taking advantage of his daughter but instead he gave me the highest compliment. He still has many contacts in the Air Force; he could have killed my career with one phone call. Instead he gave us his blessing.
His approval brought my relationship with Elsie to a whole other level. It made everything so real. There’s nothing left holding us back anymore. The deployment, the anger, her parents’ disapproval; they’re all gone. It was just the two of us now. And I have to admit, Doc, that that scares me a little because now there’s nothing obstructing her view of me. What if the man she sees is not actually the one she wants?
I’m just overthinking this again, aren’t I? I should just relax and live in the moment and enjoy the fact that Elsie and I are together, that we’re in love, and that we have the whole future ahead of us.
17
Last night, Elsie and I attended an engagement party for my friends from high school. Hass and Kelly had been dating since junior year so everyone assumed they would get married as soon as we graduated, but they broke up some time in college. They didn’t talk for years and then ran into each other again at a grocery store just a few months ago. They were engaged not too long after that.
Elsie’s theory is that Hass and Kelly just needed some time apart to grow, which makes a lot of sense. We need to know ourselves before we can be with anyone else.
During the
I pulled away, not sure how to take her words. “I will never be like you,” I said, even though I knew her words held a grain of truth. The military would always come first as long as I was in the service.
“I hope not.” She let me go with a sigh. “I’ll make you a promise, Henry. If you ever have children, I will be the best grandmother to them. I will always be there for them. You can count on that.”
Dad stood up and nodded. “Me too.”
“You hate kids,” I said to him with too much venom.
“It might change,” he said noncommittally.
I just shook my head and left because I had nothing left to say. I had aired my grievances and they had said their piece. There was no building of the bridges; the islands had drifted too far apart. For now, we would just yell at each other across the divide and hope that the message gets across.
16
Elsie came to me in a dream last night.
I woke up this morning with her naked body in my arms. Some time in the night, she’d snuck in through my bedroom window and climbed into bed with me. I’ll spare you the details, Doc, but damn, it was the best possible way to wake up.
God, I love that girl. She keeps me on my toes. She makes me laugh, makes me crazy, makes me insanely happy. I honestly don’t know what I’d do with myself if she weren’t in my life. I wouldn’t be the man that I am today, that’s for sure.
Our mothers found us in bed together. Luckily we were under the covers but there’s no mistaking what she was doing in my bed. The cat was out of the bag. I guess, eventually, they had to know about Elsie and me. I just never imagined that’s how they’d find out.
They were all in the dining room when Elsie and I emerged from my bedroom, all looking so amused. I didn’t know why I was so nervous since I’m a grown-ass man and Elsie is an adult, but my knees were shaking when the Colonel stood up and walked up to us. When he lifted his hand, I swear, I thought he was going to punch me. I would have deserved it. I was boning his daughter after all.
The Colonel just gave me an approving slap on the shoulder and said that he knew I would take care of his daughter, that I was a good man.
That just killed me—his complete trust in me. Here I thought he was going to berate me for taking advantage of his daughter but instead he gave me the highest compliment. He still has many contacts in the Air Force; he could have killed my career with one phone call. Instead he gave us his blessing.
His approval brought my relationship with Elsie to a whole other level. It made everything so real. There’s nothing left holding us back anymore. The deployment, the anger, her parents’ disapproval; they’re all gone. It was just the two of us now. And I have to admit, Doc, that that scares me a little because now there’s nothing obstructing her view of me. What if the man she sees is not actually the one she wants?
I’m just overthinking this again, aren’t I? I should just relax and live in the moment and enjoy the fact that Elsie and I are together, that we’re in love, and that we have the whole future ahead of us.
17
Last night, Elsie and I attended an engagement party for my friends from high school. Hass and Kelly had been dating since junior year so everyone assumed they would get married as soon as we graduated, but they broke up some time in college. They didn’t talk for years and then ran into each other again at a grocery store just a few months ago. They were engaged not too long after that.
Elsie’s theory is that Hass and Kelly just needed some time apart to grow, which makes a lot of sense. We need to know ourselves before we can be with anyone else.
During the
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