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My Soldiers Boots Part II
The Eaton's house was full of visitors in and out, and the air was full of glum feelings. Even Becca was not her usual perky self, it's like she knew something was wrong. "Goodnight Becca I love you." The mother said during the door of the room that her daughter was staying in.
Tris walks down the hall looking at Tobias's room as she passes. It's so neat and organized, just like how he is. Trophies line the wall of his room, his bed tightly made you could bounce a quarter off of it. Everything in it was perfect just like him.
She walks into the kitchen and sits on the stool and looks out the window. An American flag floats in the summer wind. In a way it's like it's there to mock her, and it wears down to her core. "So you got Becca to sleep alright?" Evelyn says walking into the room, she wraps her robe around her tighter.
"Yeah she can sleep just fine in here now. She's so familiar with your house." Evelyn walks around the counter and looks at Tris. "Thank you for letting us stay here Evelyn, you didn't have to do that. Especially since all your family is coming home. If we are getting in your way, just tell us and we will head back to our house."
"No, no Tris don't worry about it. We don't want you to be alone during a time like this. It's no problem, it's nice to have family around during times like these. It would be nice if they could all be here on a more joyous occasion...but you know."
John walks into the kitchen with his wife behind him, she looks tired. His wife is an OBGYN doctor so she works odd hours. She must have come here as soon as she got off of work. They live near a base on the other side of the state, so she must've had a long drive. "Hello Kendra, how are you?" Evelyn asks.
"I'm fine, just tired I haven't slept in a while." Kendra spots Tris at the counter and walks up to her to give her a hug. Kendra had always disliked Tris, thought she was too free of a spirit for her brother-in-law. But when something like this happens, even if you don't like the person, you have to feel bad. Especially if it could be you in the very same situation.
"Kendra I'll take your bags to John's room." Evelyn says walking out of the kitchen with a big orange duffel in her hands.
"How are you holding up?" Kendra asks moving the wispy dark hair out of her face.
"I'm fine, I just want someone to tell me something about him. I'm just pissed that they can't release any information to me about his condition. Can't they just tell me if my husband is alive or not?" Tris growls the last part and grips the counter top. She knows that she needs to be careful what she says around here, but she has never felt so heart broken in her entire life.
John motions her to quiet down a bit, there are others who finally just feel asleep, like Becca who they both know is difficult to get to sleep. He looks at his wife, who takes a seat next to Tris.
Kendra loosens Tris's hands and moves them away from the counter top. "Where's little Becca? Did you put her to bed yet?" Of course she knows that the baby is asleep, but she needed to move onto a different topic.
"Yeah she was just put down. It was difficult to get her asleep today."
"Yeah." Kendra says softly.
John moves to where his mother was earlier, facing the two women, slightly smiling. "You know I always liked the name Rebecca. Rebecca Jade to be exact. So did Tobias. We both decided that we would gamble for it. I was like 20 so he had to be about 17...so hey I figured that it would be an easy win, because I was older an wiser. Boy did he prove me wrong. I didn't know how clever he was until he beat my ass 20 times in a row."
This makes Tris smile, something she hasn't done all day.
"You told me that you never liked the name!" His wife screeched.
"Sorry." He says wincing, "Tobias was there that day. I had to lie because we both knew who the owner of it was."
Tris laughed, "You know I never even like the name. Tobias's was just so persistent on it when we were deciding. But looking at it now, the name is perfect for her."
"Did you two want to know if it was a boy or a girl?"
"No we wanted to be surprised. It became his idea that if it was a boy I get to name it and if it was girl he get to name it. He obviously won."
"What was the name that you had picked out?"
"Tobias Josiah Jr."
"Wow, even I know that's bad." John says.
"I like it. It's a good name."
"Yes, for only one person."
"Whatever, I'm going to try to sleep." Tris says walking down the hall to an open bedroom.
Tris finds herself at Cate's house the next day at the same time. "Okay Mrs. Polk why don't you try walking over to me?" Tris says from the other side of the hall.
"Without my cane?"
"Yes ma'am I believe you are you at that level to do it."
"Fine but if I do this I want you too turn on the tv for me."
"Ma'am I would do that, but it would be a good part of your therapy."
"You are an impossible girl." Cate says taking a first step. The hallway is only 10 feet long. She could do this. She could do this way before the stroke. Stroke or no stroke she knows that she has to do it. She finally found a therapist who she actually liked.
"That's not the first time I've heard that." She says watching slowly making her way.
She about halfway down the hallway when she felt out of breath. Tasks like this have never been this difficult. "Mrs. Polk if you need to you can take a break for now." Her voice was slightly worried, but she needed top price this girl wrong.
"If you are telling me what I can and cannot do, I will freak."
"I am not telling you, I am just suggesting."
Bull headed girl. She shouldn't sass her elders like this. Cate thought to herself.
She finally made it to the end of the hallway, and leaned against the wall some what out of breath. "Good job."
"Just give me the cane girl so I can finish this session."
Tris handed the old woman the cane and they made their way to the living room. She was able to sit down by herself, but it was a difficult challenge. Tris handed her the remote and it took her a while but she finally was able to turn it to that news channel that she liked to watch. What is it called? CNN?
Tris left the room after the old woman was situated, to go chat with the woman's care-taker and probably to repack her bag. She did this just about every day.
Breaking News: The tv screen read. The man on the tv was switched over to this lunatic that she really didn't like. Victims of the Harper Massacre are being brought back to America. They should arrive at O'Hare Airport in Chicago Friday morning to be identified by family members and to be brought back to their families.
Cate looked at the young girl standing behind her, leaning against the wall that separates her kitchen from her living room. The girls mouth is slightly open, and she looks slightly shocked.
"This is what you were crying about wasn't it? Your husband, he was a victim of the massacre?"
Tris nodded and rubbed her arms. She can tell that she is biting her cheek in attempt not to cry. "Take as much time as you need tomorrow. I'll give you the day off on Friday to go to the airport. Go spend time with your loved ones."
Tris nodded, thanked Susan -the woman caring for her- and left the house, pushing years out of her eyes as she walked out the door.
"Susan go get me the shoe box in my closet." Cate demanded, and with as much difficulty as before, she turned off the tv.
Susan brought the bthisox back over to her Cate opened the box and tried to get the envelopes out of it. She opened one of the letters and read it.
My dearest Cate,
I know that's been a long time, but whenever I write these letters I see your beautiful face, there's never a day that goes by where I don't think about those green eyes of yours. I bet Victoria and George have your looks, and even though I haven't officially met them I know that they are bright and beautiful. I know you are thinking that this is the mushiest letter that you have ever read, but amid this darkness over here, you are the light that keeps me going.
Now my dearest, I know that you worry about me, but I don't want you to worry. I am coming home. Most of the men that I am fighting with are leaving also. This war is ending. I feel it. I feel that something big is going to happen and we are going to be triumphant.
Please kids our children for me a and give my sister a hug, hopefully the next time I talk to you is not through my chicken scratch, but to your beautiful face.
Your Loving Husband,
Daniel
P.S. You are right about my boots, it's the only thing I need. The only thing I need to get closer to you.
This letter was sent to her right before Japan was bombed. Danny came home to get soon after, but not all in one piece. Right before they were sent home Danny lost his right arm. Though he didn't let that stop him. He was still the sweetest man on the planet, probably the only one who would put up with her. Danny was like that all the way until he died. She lost him to cancer on April 4, 2013.
That day when he died, right before anyway, he told her that when he died that she should go see the newborns. He wanted her to see all the lives that will replace his. He always talked about how one life leaves the Earth, another one replaced it. When she finally gained the courage to walk over there, she saw all the little faces and some reminded her of her husband.
A young man was there. He was smiling into the window. It was obvious that he was a new father, the way he looked adoring into the window. "Which one is yours?" She asked him, knowing that's what Danny would do.
He looked at her slightly surprised, but smiled at her. He was handsome, she remembered. "The little one right over there, she's mine." He pointed to a little girl in the middle.
This makes Cate wonder, what kind of life will replace hers? That baby will be coming soon, it has a big life to replace, a whole 92 years of it.
This war inside of me is ending soon. She thought to herself. I will be with you soon, Daniel. I feel it.