Page 47 of Thick & Thin

“It’s good. What’s wrong? Is Emma okay? Devin? Dad? The baby?”

She sighed, and I knew I was right in thinking something was wrong.

“Yeah. We’re all fine.” She went silent, making my skin crawl. “It’s Josh.”

My heart slammed to a halt, and my breath was sucked from my lungs.

“What about him? Did something happen?”

“He was injured.”

“What?” My voice broke with the word.

I was sure I hadn’t heard her correctly.

“Josh was injured in Afghanistan. The convoy he was traveling with struck an IED. A few of the guys didn’t make it.”

My legs went weak beneath me, and I dropped to my small twin-sized bed.

“Is he okay?” My words were strained and whispered as if my throat refused to speak my fears into the world.

“He’s alive,” she said, sending nausea and relief through my body like a black wave.

“I’m coming home. I’m leaving now,” I said adamantly.

“No. Don’t rush back home. He’s not here. Stay in Texas. There’s no need to miss any class when he’s not even on American soil. You have exams to study for. I’ll call you once he’s home and settled, and then I’ll fly you home.”

I exhaled, rubbing at my aching chest with a shaking hand.

“But shouldn’t I—”

“Jenny, there’s nothing you can do right now,” she said, cutting me off.

“Okay. Please keep me posted, Lilly. As soon you as hear anything, call me.”

“I will. I promise.”

I wasn’t sure if I said goodbye or not. I just remember setting my cell on the table and staring at the wall in front of me until the sun slid down to the bottom, and the wall became dark.

The next morning, I skipped class so I could make phone calls to his family and get the answers I needed, but no one answered. With everything going on back home, I didn’t blame them for not answering.

A week passed, and I called Lilly every day until I was sure she was annoyed with me. Finally, she had news for me. Josh was transported from Afghanistan and was now in a hospital in Germany. We all knew he was alive, but getting more details was difficult for the family. Either that, or they didn’t want me to know the important details. Maybe that was for the best, though, since I was driving myself crazy with worry.

I attempted going to class, but I was barely paying attention. I lived in sweats and stained T-shirts. I was too stressed to even think about laundry or daily things. I showered and brushed my teeth, but that was the best I could do. I had made promises to Lilly to keep myself together, and I was trying to do just that.

I didn’t get any form of relief for almost three weeks when Lilly finally called to tell me Josh was home in Walterboro and settled at his parents’ house. I was packing my bag as soon as the words left her mouth, and within three hours of our phone call, I was on a plane and on my way to Josh.

Lilly picked me up from the airport alone. Devin was at home with Emma, which I appreciated since I wasn’t sure I could be bubbly Aunt Jenny with so many terrible things bouncing around my head.

Instead of taking me back to Dad’s, Lilly took me directly to Josh’s house. When she pulled up in the horseshoe driveway, she put her little car in park and turned toward me.

“I’ll wait here if you want,” she said, patting my shaking leg.

“No. I’m not leaving him. Go home to Emma and get some rest. I’ll call you later. Thank you for everything.”

I didn’t wait for her to respond before I climbed from her car and shut the passenger side door. Adjusting my bag on my shoulder, I sprinted to the front door and knocked. No one answered right away. It wasn’t until the third knock that the doorknob turned.

Genie opened the door, her big brown eyes rimmed in sadness and gloom.

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