A LOVE NEVER FADING
Chapter Forty
June 6, 1917
Andrew was one month old today, but it was
not a very happy time. A few days ago Brian and Jack received their letters
that they would be required to fight in the war. Brian was leaving June
twelfth. So he and Maggie only had six more days together. Brian was lucky,
though. His letter said he wouldn't be gone very long, only a few months. And
he wasn't even going to fight. He was going to France to do something with
translating. Maggie didn't quite understand, nor did she care. All she knew was
that her husband was going to a different country and he would be away from her
and his one-month-old son for God only knew how long.
Jack had not been as lucky. He was also being
sent to France, but would be fighting. When Rose heard this news she thought
she would die. She was glad that he wouldn't be leaving until October tenth. So
she still had four months with him. Jack was extremely upset and terrified but
he never showed it. He needed to be there for Rose. He also knew he would need
to be there for Maggie when Brian left. Jack and Rose watched Andrew for the
final six days that Brian was home. They felt Maggie deserved time alone with
him.
*****
June 12, 1917
"Brian, don't go." Maggie wrapped
her arms around him from behind.
"Maggie, you know that's
impossible."
Brian and Maggie were in their bedroom. He
was leaving today. At the moment he was putting the finishing touches on his
uniform. When he looked in the mirror he could see Maggie in tears behind him.
He sighed sadly.
"Come here." Brian put out his arms
and Maggie laid herself against him. "Now, listen to me. I'm coming back.
The letter itself says I won't even be gone a year. For all we know the war
could end tomorrow. I'm not going to fight so you don't have to worry."
She looked up at him. "You know very
well that they bomb all kinds of buildings. It doesn't matter that you're not
fighting."
Brian walked over to the bed and sat her
down. He knelt beside her. "I've known you my entire life. I barely
remember a day when I haven't seen you. I've loved you forever. You are the
mother of my child." He smiled. "And we're going to have more
children."
Brian sat on the bed next to her. He kissed
her tenderly. "I want you to do something for me. Okay?"
She nodded gently. "Anything."
"When Jack leaves, look out for Rose.
They haven't had each other as long as we've had one another. You understand
how in love they are. I don't know how she'll handle it when he leaves. And
he'll be fighting. You know yourself how horrible the situation in France is
right now. There's a good chance he won't come back. So, will you do that? Look
out for Rose?"
She smiled. "I would have done it
anyway."
Brian studied Maggie. Her curly auburn hair
hung down freely. The beautiful hazel eyes that had so enchanted him as a young
boy had tears hanging in them. The freckles on her cheeks made him smile
gently. He remembered when she was embarrassed by them. He told her they were
angel kisses. A sob caught in his throat. "I love you so much." He
pulled her tightly to him and ran his fingers through her thick hair.
She cried softly. "You're coming back. I
know you are."
Their lips found each other and for one sweet
moment they could share their love. Brian pulled back slowly. "I have to go."
She nodded and took his hand. The couple
walked to the front door. Rose and Jack were sitting on the stairs, holding
Andrew. Brian took his son in his arms. Of all the things, this would be the
hardest. He had no idea what he would miss in his son's life.
"I'm going to miss you." Andrew
gurgled and smiled at his father. Brian laughed. "I'm glad you're too
little to know what's going on. I'm doing this for you. I never want you to be
involved in a war like this or live in a world where there is a war like
this." Andrew laughed again. Brian wiped tears from his eyes and kissed
his son on the head.
There was a knock at the door. It was the
cab, come to take Brian. Rose gave him a long hug. Jack hugged him, too, and
whispered that he would watch out for Maggie. Brian held Andrew in one hand and
had the other arm around Maggie. They walked out the door to the cab. He kissed
her over and over until finally the cabby said it was time to leave. Brian
tearfully handed Andrew over to Maggie and got in the car. She watched him
until the cab was out of sight. The second Maggie walked in the house she went
to her room, laid Andrew in his crib and cried for hours.
*****
Upstairs, Rose sat on the corner of her bed.
Jack was next to her. He laid her head on his shoulder. "What are you
thinking about?" he asked quietly.
"How proud I am of myself." She
took a breath. "I've never taken you for granted. Every time I wake up
with you in my bed I thank God." Rose's eyes glazed over. "Watching
Maggie and Brian having to say good-bye got me thinking about when we'll have
to do that, but when we do it I'll be able to say that I've always known how
lucky I've been to have you." She looked at him. "I've never
forgotten how close I came to losing you. It's always been on my mind when I'm
with you. Those few hours when I thought you were dead were the worst of my
life. There was this horrible pain in my stomach and this hole in my heart.
I'll never forget that. Every time I see you I just think, My God, I'm so
lucky that this man loves me and that he's here with me." She
swallowed hard.
Jack was so moved by her words he could
barely think. "I'm the lucky one, Rose. I'm lucky that you love me."
He smiled. "And you should be proud of yourself. Proud that you're so
smart, beautiful, talented, compassionate, strong-willed, confident,
independent, funny, and just plain wonderful. I'm the lucky one. And I'll
always love you, and will always be here with you, even if it's only in
spirit."
She smiled at him and placed her hand on his
cheek. "I don't want you to go. I don't like the idea of you out there all
by yourself. Fighting. You don't deserve that. We don't deserve that. We went
through enough."
Jack pulled her to him and stroked her hair.
"I don't want to go anymore than you want me to. I have to, though. Do you
think I like the idea of leaving you alone? You'll be here by yourself. That's
what's getting me sick more than anything. And Maggie. She has Andrew. I hate
the fact you two will be here with no one, and a baby to look after." He
sighed. "I thank God for Erik. I know he'll look after you. And Tim, too.
He'll keep you company at work."
Rose looked up at him. She smiled weakly.
"But everything will be fine. You'll be gone a little while, but we'll
write each other letters. And then you'll be home. Where you belong. Everything
will be fine."
He smiled weakly, too, and laid her head back
against his chest. "Of course things will be fine. They have to be. We
still have so much love to share. And so much of our lives ahead of us. Nothing
can come between us. Nothing." Jack kissed the top of her head.