Page 10 of Forever Foolish

“Oh, I will,” she chuckled, and he could hear the tears in her voice – realizing that they might be saying ‘goodbye’ for a little while. If he was going to be shipping off to boot camp soon, this might be it for a while between them. “Let me know when you are heading out.”

“Same – and I’m serious. Go make a name for yourself and rule the world, my Chloe.”

“I promise.”

Not a moment later, they both hung up, and he sat there, reeling. He felt so alone, so adrift and lost, that it was staggering to think that life was going to go on regardless of whether he stayed here and worked or if he left to serve in the Army somewhere.

“You know I would never force you into doing something you hated,” his father began quietly from the doorway.

J.J. turned around and looked at him, unsure what to say. He wasn’t sure just how much his father heard of the very private conversation – and could see regret, fear, and confusion in his eyes. It was a very strange, almost pivoting moment that hung between them… like his father was seeing him –the real version– for the very first time.

“I just don’t want you to miss out on anything, and some of my best memories are sitting around the barracks cracking jokes with my friends. I love your mother and my life here, but those are special times that no man should miss out on. Your mother swept into my world. She showed me that there were other adventures to be had – and I just want to show you the doorway to the first one. Does that make sense?”

“You’re right,” J.J. said quietly, feeling adrift. “It’s going to be years before I ever have a chance with Chloe – and I need that time to pass quickly.”

“You shouldn’t wish your life away, and that’s not what I’m…”

“Dad, I’m enlisting,” he interrupted, feeling more resolved. “I’ve got seven years until I find out where she’s stationed – and seven years to figure myself out.”

“All I’m asking is for you to keep your mind and heart open. It would be foolish to settle on one person when you never know what the world will bring you. I mean, just look at my situation. I thought for sure I would be marrying Annabelle – and then things changed for the better. I married your mother, we’ve had two beautiful children, and life is incredible. I just want the same for you.”

“Me too, Dad. Me too.”

But with Chloe.

3

CHLOE

Six years later…

“Cadet King, please step forward.”

Chloe rose and slowly walked toward the podium. Everything was coming together, and she was so proud at this moment as she was recognized for her grades. Her family was there in the stands, and her mind was wandering to J.J. where he was stationed in Monterey, California. He picked orders to California in the hopes that she might be assigned to flight school there or stationed on a base nearby. They had actually talked about it last week to discuss their plans.

She swallowed silently, shaking the speaker’s hand before moving on to take her seat once more. It was like nothing was clicking in her mind, but those whispered words in secret that they had shared on the phone.

“Chloe, I’m so proud of you…”

“I miss you and wish you could come to graduation.”

“I wish I could get there.”

“Do you know where your flight school is yet?”

“Mississippi.”

“I see.”

“Do you want to re-enlist for another two years to see where I get stationed?”

“No. I think I’m going to go home and wait for word from you.”

“What if I get deployed to California?”

“What if you get deployed to Germany?” he countered. It wasn’t done harshly or out of meanness, but rather stating a painful truth that both had been avoiding. Her father had once been stationed in Africa before going to Afghanistan. Sheer luck put him in Annapolis, Maryland, where Chloe grew up. In his short stint in the Army, J.J. had already been stationed in Georgia and California, narrowly missing orders to Iraq. She could get deployed to any number of locations – just like him.

“If I’m at home, then I can manage some way to come see you wherever you go, no matter where you get assigned. If I’m on active duty, then I only have a few chances to take leave to come see you.”

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