Soon Enough, Part Ii

...The wedding was planned for that fifth year, but when it came Rob sadly did say: “I’m being deployed, they’re put us on alert, I’m sorry love, but I must go away.” She was in tears, but what choice had they? What could she do but curse their luck? The wedding was postponed, and Rob deployed, saying,”It’ll be over quickly enough.” But conflicts drag on and for the next three years Rob was stateside for only four weeks. In that short time they made a daughter, a little squirt that they named Genevieve. Facing fire each day made Rob sport grays, just surviving was brutally tough, when his term was up he decided that for his county he’d given enough. When he came home he looked worse for wear, and was missing two fingers on his left hand, she ran to him, said in no uncertain terms: “Tomorrow you’re giving me that gold band.” At a justice of the peace they finally said their vows, it was simple, but they were in love, laying in bed that night, he said to his wife: “This day couldn’t come fast enough.” Eight years had passed, another girl was born, but one day Charlotte felt short of breath, at the hospital the doctor looked grim, saying,”We’ve just got results from the test.” A cancer it seemed had gone undiscovered, but they’d hit it with all their best stuff. As the months passed she looked worse and worse, the chemo just did not do enough. By her bedside, with tears in his eyes he said,”We have not had enough time! After all the delays I thought we would be growing old by each other’s side.” She smiled weakly, and said to him: “I know this is going to be rough, but our girls need you, you are their world, I know that you'll be strong enough.” When her day came Rob was a wreck, but never did he leave her bed, towards the end she looked up at him and in quiet whisper she said: “Do not be afraid of what is to come, I’ll be looking down from above. What’s a few decades compared to all time? We’ll have our eternity soon enough.” He said,”That day cannot come soon enough.”