Part 12

It was the night before the "event" I was dreading.........



He would be gone for seven months to a war zone. That night we went to dinner at my parents house. My mom made a nice dinner and we had Tom's favorite dessert, angel food cake, strawberries, and ice cream. We visited for a while and had a great time.



We went back to my house and spent the rest of the evening together just the two of us. It was our last night together and we wanted to be selfish and it just be us. I had given him a little gift which was a Bible I had engraved with his name on and I could tell he just loved it.



As I told him good night I laid there and cried. I wanted to be so strong for him and for me but I was breaking inside.



I had just found love again and now I had to let go. I didn't want to....



Part of me wanted to just say goodbye so it would be easier but I loved him too much and knew that would just kill him.



To say having faith in God at that moment was a little hard is a total understatement. It. Was. Really. Hard.



I knew this situation was completely out of my control and I couldn't protect him or keep him safe and that made me that much more vulnerable. I didn't have control of the last man that was ripped away from me, and what if it happened again? Difference this time was that I was choosing to take the chance.



Most people thought I was crazy but something deep down told me everything would be ok. I held onto that like I had never held onto anything.





4:00AM came way to quick that next morning. I watched him pack the last few items in his seabag and I put some sweat pants on and one of his shirts and a USMC sweatshirt. We drove all the way to the Marine base hand in hand not wanting to ever let go. My sister and brother went with us so I wouldn't be alone and so he had some support.



He was supposed to board the bus at like 6:30 that morning but if you know the Marine Corps than you know that didn't happen!!!!!



He would leave me here and there once to get his rifle and a few times for formations. Everytime I prepared myself for that to be it.



Finally at about 8:30AM it was time to really say goodbye. The moment we both were procrastinating. He held me so tight and I sunk into his chest. I didn't want to let go of him. We stared into each others eyes trying to make a lasting memory of each others faces. We kissed and hugged some more.



Then I let go........Not knowing if I would ever be held again by that wonderful man's arms.



He boarded the bus and I watched as he sat in his seat. He waved at me til I couldn't see him anymore. The tears just streamed down my face. My heart was breaking I didn't know if he would be back to put it back together.



He called me from someone's phone on our drive home. You would have thought I hadn't talked to him in days!!!!lol



When I got home I got ready, it literally took me like an hour just to shower. I would be fine and then I would think of him or see something of his and I would fall apart all over again.



Once I finally finished getting ready my sister and I headed to school.



A month prior we started cosmetology school together. I wanted to go so bad and figured this would be a perfect time to go since he was going to be gone. I needed something to keep me busy and preoccupied.



He called me again later that day. I think he was Hungary. His plane had caught on fire so they were stuck there for a day or so. The next day I received a dozen beautiful red roses. I think someone loved me or something.



Once he made it to Iraq I got a phone call. In the beginning the phone calls were spuratic. when he finally got settled I received a phone call almost everyday.



He and I are quite old-fashioned and wanted to do the whole snail mail thing. I wrote him a letter everyday and he wrote as often as he could. I didn't just write a letter I actually put stickers all over it and did special ones for every holiday, I sprayed it with my perfume that was his favorite, I put a kiss at the end and just tried to make it as special as possible.



It's kind of funny.....Everyone always knew when the mail arrived cause they could all smell it. Even their letters smelled good because of his.



That seven months were long yet short. He called almost everyday unless he was on a mission, then I wouldn't hear from anywhere from 3 to 7 days. Yes I know I was very lucky!!!!!



I talked to his mom once a week to stay in touch and keep each other updated on him. I actually met his family for the first time while he was deployed. I flew out there all alone for a few days. We hit it off right away and we all got along wonderfully. They were all so sweet and accepting.



I never got used to him being gone but life did form a new routine. It didn't make it any easier but I was living.



He missed thanksgiving, the one year anniversary of Matt's death, christmas, new year's, my birthday, valentine's day, and easter. All of those days were exceptionally hard but my family and the Lord got me through them.



The last month before he came home felt like a turtle moving across the street. I thought the day would never come.

The few weeks before his homecoming date changed a zillion and one times....His poor mom had to change planes tickets so many times and had to PAY for it!!!!!

The house was in tip top shape everything in its place and sparkly clean. I picked up his family from the airport and they stayed with me for a few days before he came home.

On that Sunday, his homecoming, we went to church and had a great lunch at my parents. That afternoon just dragged along. I finally got the phone call i had been anticipating for forever. He called and said they had just landed at March Airforce Base and would be boarding the buses soon and be making there way to 29 Palms Marine Base. That was at about 4PM. So we packed ourselves up in the cars and headed out for our 30 min. drive to the base.

We pulled up to victory field and there were already lots of families there awaiting the arrival of their loved ones. I had the biggest not in my stomach because I was so excited/nervous to see my prince charming in combat boots.

Thinking it wasn't going to be that long before he got there we didn't bring chairs or anything so we either had to stand the whole time or sit in dirt that was supposed to be a grassy field!!!!

I got another phone call when they were just entering the base so we all started to get really excited. Then we found out they had to drop of their rifles so it would be yet another hour! We actually saw there bus go right past us and it was like a child seeing disneyland but not being able to go.

Finally they DJ that was keeping everyone informed said they were on their way over to the field.

It was time.....Time to see the man of my dreams........

The buses pulled up, all three of them. Hundreds of people waiting. The doors opened to the buses and they started to poor out.

Lots of men wearing camis with their covers on and backpacks on their backs.......How was I ever going to find him????!!!!!!

Then........I.........Saw............stayed tuned...........