Page 107 of Fight Or Flight

No way he’d doubt my love for him.

My loyalty.

My promises.

My commitment.

“What are you talking about?” I choke.

“Just tell me,” he growls. “Did you cheat on me? Was it once? Twice? How many guys have touched you since I’ve been gone? It’s been five fucking weeks and not one damn letter. I’m dying over here…” I hear him suck in a breath. “I’m going crazy, Brooklyn. Fucking crazy. Just tell me!”

Tears fill my eyes as my heart shatters and all our dreams crumble to pieces. But they don’t fall.

Not my tears or the fragments of my heart and our broken dreams.

The hurricane rages. It builds and swirls. It strengthens in power.

There is beauty to be found after every storm.

Sometimes it’s the church that still stands, a beautiful place where faith holds up the walls. The frame of a home, where memories are the foundation of a family’s love and laughter coats every nook and cranny. An old oak tree with initials of lovers carved into its bark.

There is always one beautiful thing that survives and this time that beautiful thing is going to be love. They say young love doesn’t last, that it’s not capable of weathering the storms. Well, they never met the girl who had no one, the girl who fought fear to let love in. They never knew her strength. But the boy on the other end of the line, he knows her.

He built her.

He rescued her heart.

He made her believe she was unbreakable.

Now it’s him who needs rescuing.

He who needs to let love in.

Because in the toughest of times, it’s love that blankets you.

Wiping my eyes, I squeeze the phone.

“Eric, I don’t know what’s happened to you or what’s going on inside your head, but you need to snap out of it,” I say, calmly.

My tone doesn’t waiver, it remains strong and solid.

“I would never cheat on you. Do you hear me? You Soldier Boy, you’ve got my whole heart. I love you and I’m counting the days until I can look into your eyes and tell you that.”

“I’ve got to go.”

“No! Eric do—”

The line goes dead and I drop the phone. I let myself cry for five minutes, and then I brush those tears away. Crying isn’t going to save us.

Be brave.

Be strong.

God pairs the strongest women with soldiers, he pairs them with hurricanes.

---