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by Tammy Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E · Book · Drama · #1759355
Romance, Love Story




The days were getting shorter and shorter with fall approaching. The summer of 1960 had been like a dream. The hot sun beating down on your face, the water fights with the garden hose and picnics under the trees in the corner of the field. There was nothing like a summer in New York. Marie was beautiful and young. Her dark hair and brown eyes always made the boys turn back for a second look, but she was true; true to Michael. She was seventeen and so was he. The two had met through Marie’s cousin Ruth. Michael came from a middle class family much like Marie’s. They were hardworking, religious and had very high morals. Michael was very well mannered and his blue eyes were out of this world.



On October 2, everything was about to change. There was a knock on the door. Marie’s mother opened the door to greet Michael. He smiled in a forceful sort of way. Marie new he didn’t have good news. He guided Marie into the parlor. Her father was bailing hay out in the field and her mother had gone out to hang clothes on the line. He knew he had her attention, and with a somber voice he told her he’d enlisted. Her head dropped and at first he heard nothing; he had seen nothing until; she started to cry. Offering his apologies he knew it was for her heart, her broken and tearing heart. His too was no longer whole. He explained to her it was his duty, his obligation to his country, his family, and to her. She understood but; deep inside she prayed for forgiveness; for her selfishness of wanting Michael to stay with her.



Then, just a few weeks later, Michael was gone. She didn’t know what to do with her-self. Desperate and heartbroken, she needed to get out of this town and away from the memories. She discovered through her cousin that nursing might be her answer; to fill her void and help her to forget the only love she had ever known.



After nursing school Marie was feeling better about her-self. Her mother had spoken to her about going to Pennsylvania and spending time with her Aunt, who was not in good health. Having wanted a change of scenery for quite some time now, Marie jumped at the opportunity.



Many years had gone by. Marie’s Aunt had passed away, then her father and eventually her mother. Marie had stayed in the old house that was her aunts, which eventually became hers. She thought about Michael often. After hearing that he was in the jungles of Vietnam she was never able to bring herself to search the names on that famous wall. She would rather not know than to know he was gone. He never left her heart and for that reason she could never allow herself to try to love another man. She knew she was never meant to be anyone else’ wife.



Then, one Saturday afternoon, Marie received a call from one of her younger sisters, Michelle. Michelle had been diagnosed with cancer and had asked Marie to come home, for good. It was her dying wish. Marie thought about it. Remembering her memories with Michael, the hot sun beating down on their faces, the water fights with the garden hose, and picnics under the trees in the corner of the field; she knew now, she needed what family she had left. It had been thirty years and it was time to go home.



Once back in New York and settled in with her sister, who now lived in their old family house they grew up in, Marie would go out to the field for evening walks. She would pick lilacs that grew along the parameter of the field then sit on the grass and breathe in their sweet scent. She would walk to the back corner of the field where she use to picnic and dream of days that made her smile, days when her heart was whole.



Marie was walking back to the house after one of her evening walks and spotted a car in the driveway. As she neared the driveway she had seen the back of a man's head. As she approached, he started to turn around. When their eyes met it was like time had stood still. Memories starting rolling through her mind like a million photographs all at once. She closed her eyes then re-opened them again. Trying to focus and gather her senses. She just dropped her head as she always did, in silence until; he heard her crying. He pulled her close, lifted her chin up with his left hand then looked deep into her eyes, and whispered: “I’m home”.

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