Page 28 of The Long Haul

“Aww, Dad,” Boone pouts. We all laugh, but I know Bowers sees all of us as his kids. Not as much as he does Boone, though. They’re tight, yet neither let it interfere with our jobs. It can’t.

“What’s she like?” Devin wants to know as we start settling down.

“Mine,” I possessively respond.

Boone fist bumps me, the only other man, aside from Bowers, in this room that’s married. Kirk, Thomas, Matthew, and Devin aren’t players in any way, shape, or form. What they are is how Boone and I used to be. So sure being in the Army isn’t conducive to a lasting relationship, so why bother attempting it?

“When do we get to meet her?” That’s from Matthew.

“Flora and I already have,” Boone boasts.

“Not cool, man,” Kirk says.

“We double dated.”

“We could’ve also been there,” Matthew chimes in with Kirk, Thomas, and Devin nodding.

“I wanted to introduce Audrey to Flora,” I defend myself. “So, when we deploy again, they’ll have each other to get through it.”

“Fine,” Kirk forgives me and Boone. “I’ll allow it.”

Bowers, having watched everything with a grin, jumps in. “If only I was in charge. Oh wait, I am. Let’s go, men.” As we all file out past him, he stops me. “Congratulations, Carson. I expect to see her at the next team gathering.”

“Looking forward to it, sir.”

“Glad to hear that. I’ve just decided it’s this Saturday.”

Epilogue Two

Audrey

Seven years after meeting...

“I love our life,” I tell my husband as we finish setting up the train my new family had gotten me that first Christmas with them and begin wrapping the presents for our kids. Five-year-old David Carson, named after his grandpa and dad, and Leslie Morgan, in honor of my mom and dad respectively, at three, are still young enough to believe in Santa Claus. We’re already heartbroken knowing there will come a time when they won’t, but until then, we have a blast with the ruse.

We’d decided shortly after we were married that we wanted time together before starting our family since our relationship happened at warp speed. It’s not that either of us doubted our longevity, merely that we know we skipped a few steps and wanted to go back and enjoy them.

So, we dated. While married.

As strange as it sounds, we needed it.

I fell even more in love with him as I truly got to know all the little things that make up Carson.

And, as I was learning more about him, I was learning about myself, too.

Once I’d cut all ties with the Trudeaus, I’d feared that I’d regret it. That I was being melodramatic.

I was wrong on both counts.

What I did regret was that I let it go on for all those years. Then again, if I hadn’t, Carson and I might never have gotten our chance.

Though he’s positive that isn’t the case. He says that fate would’ve always brought us together, the only difference is in what manner and when.

Carson and his team got deployed three months after our wedding. It was expected to last six, but went on for eight. In the grand scheme of things, I’m grateful it hadn’t been more than that, yet it was a hard adjustment.

Flora helped me through it, cementing our bond and earning me a best friend.

I’ve never had one of those before, so it took a bit to realize what it entailed.

---