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She smiles at me before pulling it from the case. “Are you sure?”
I nod, knowing this is the ring I want my wife to wear. The ring is going to be sized and ready the following day. I just hope that Gina would say yes. I’d been gone five weeks, unable to communicate with her.
Ready to face the world, I turn on my phone. There are voicemails from a worried Gina, Andre checked in a few times; and Gina let Lucas leave a couple too. The carrier loaded the text messages over time, dinging every time a new contact texted. I make my way through them. Missed by them all, I read the messages from Gina as she becomes more and more worried.
I drive straight to her place to find Lucas outside playing in the yard. When he sees me, he runs over and hugs my leg tightly. Bending down, I pull him into my arms, glad to see him.
“Lucas!” Gina walks out, searching for her son, but stops when she sees me standing there. Tears roll down her face, and she covers her mouth before she runs over to me. “I thought…” she started while standing to look at me.
I stand up, letting Lucas go. “What did you think?” I ask, knowing the answer, but needing her to understand that it is a possibility every single time that I left for missions and tours.
“That you… um… it’s been five weeks.” Her bottom lip trembles, and I engulf her in a hug where she falls apart in my arms.
I don’t know how long we stay like that, but I know I am not moving until she is okay. Continuing to rub her back, I whisper in her ear, “Shh… I’m right here, baby. I know… I know… Did you really think that you were getting rid of me that easily?”
“Oh god, I didn’t want to. I just wanted to hear your voice and feel your arms around me. Damn it. It pissed me off that I’d missed your call!”
“It pissed me off you didn’t answer, but I didn’t blame you. I just wanted to talk to you before I left. If I would have had time, I’d have come here to look for you. Things moved quickly, pulling me away immediately.”
“Are you okay? You look like shit,” she joked, finally able to wipe away the tears and look up at me.
“I am. I’m starving and ready to hold you,” I admit.
“I can call Susie to watch Lucas…” she began.
“No, he can stay.”
“Have you been home yet?”
“No, I need to. I came here straight away.”
“Can you give me a minute to get a bagged packed for us?” she asked.
Pulling her back into my arms, I take her mouth with purpose, trying to reassure her it would be okay. “Meet me at my house?”
She nods, but I can tell she doesn’t want to let me out of her sight.
“I can get cleaned up and meet y’all on the couch.”
“Have you eaten?” she asked.
It was evening, and I had eaten nothing all day. “No. I’m starving.”
“I’ll bring food too.” She reaches up on the tips of her toes. “I’ll see you soon.”
“You will.”
When she arrives, I am passed out in bed. I wake up to Gina sitting beside me, prepared to feed me tacos, Lucas and Andre talking, and music playing somewhere in the distance. This is what home feels like. After eating two hard shell tacos down and one soft taco, I fall asleep again. Gina curls up to me at some point, and I hold her tight all night long.
In the morning, I wake up early to pick up her ring. I come back to her cooking breakfast with that worried expression on her face.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
“Nothing… I… I just got nervous with you gone.”
“Understood.” I hug her tightly. “I’m sorry to scare you.”
Gina relaxes and finishes cooking. I go to find Andre and show him the ring. Excited, we plan the perfect dinner for me to ask her. He’d volunteered to monitor Lucas later, but for now, I join in the video games they are playing.
