Soldier On (30 page)

“Thank you. If his pictures are any indication, he was very proud to serve.”

“I’m sure he was. It’s a calling, just like with anything else. It’s not for everyone, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. What’s your calling? Are you in school?”

“I am. I graduate in May. I’m going to be an English teacher.”

“Oh? I was a teacher.”

For the next hour, Tom and Steph talk about everything from unruly students to Indiana basketball. He avoids talking about his military career, which seems odd since that’s typically all he and I discuss when I visit. But I know he’s doing it out of respect for Steph. Who knows? Maybe he’s grateful to talk about something different, too.

“Brandon, you’re very quiet this afternoon.”

“Just letting you two talk.”

“Well, she’s fun to talk to.”

“I know she is.”

Steph rolls her eyes at the two of us and stands up from the bench. “Well,
she
is going to let you guys do the talking while she looks for a restroom.”

I reach up and squeeze her hand. “It’s near the entrance. Want me to show you the way?”

“No, stay here and talk to your friend. I’ll be right back.”

Steph leans down and kisses me before heading inside. I bet she isn’t looking for the bathroom at all. She probably just wanted to give us the chance to say our goodbyes.

“She’s a bright and beautiful girl,” Tom says.

“Yes, she . . .wait a second. How do you know she’s beautiful?”

He laughs. “I don’t need eyes to see how beautiful she is, Brandon. That girl has a sweet soul. You remember what I said last time you were here?”

“
Love. Honesty. Respect.
I remember.”

“And you’re doing all those things?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. Keep doing them. It’ll make you better in every way. A better soldier. A better man.” Tom lifts his head toward the sun and smiles. “But you’re not here for a lecture, are you? You’re here to tell me goodbye.”

I try to swallow the lump in my throat. It’s impossible.

“We’re graduating soon. I was afraid I might not get another chance to come visit.”

“And then you’re off to AIT?”

“Yes. Signal Corps training for twelve weeks.”

“Well, your girl is here. I guess that means she’s accepted you, camouflage and all.”

I smile. “She has.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

This goodbye is harder than the one with my father. At least I plan on seeing my dad again. The chances of seeing Tom McBride are slim. I can promise to write or call, but we both know it could be difficult, depending on where I’m stationed. Plus, he’s not the healthiest man. We both know that. We just don’t discuss it.

“I sense you’re feeling some guilt, Brandon.”

I close my eyes.
How does he know?

“A little, yes.”

“Because I’m an old man with no family?”

Yes.

“Son, I don’t want you to worry about me. The doctors and nurses take good care of me. I’d love a Christmas card. Maybe a phone call if you can. But I don’t expect it. You forget I was a soldier, too. I know things are different now, as far as technology and all that, but I can’t use any of it. And who knows where you’ll be? So, if you
can
call, I know you will. But don’t feel obligated, and don’t feel guilty if you can’t. You’ve been a good friend, Brandon. You’ve listened to an old man talk about the war and his wife, and you’ve done it all without falling asleep once.”

I laugh.

“I’ve enjoyed our talks, Tom. You don’t know how much.”

“Sure, I do. You visited almost every weekend. That’s more visits than some of the other guys get, and they have kids who live close by. Plus, you brought Steph to meet me. That shows me our time has been as special to you as it has been to me. I appreciate that.”

“It has been. I really . . . don’t know when I’ll get back to Indiana.”

“I know that, too. That’s why I said call if you can. Heck, you can even write me a letter. It’ll give me the chance to hear a nurse’s voice say something to me besides, ‘Time for your medication, Mr. McBride.’ It’ll be a nice change of pace.”

We both laugh just as Steph steps back out onto the deck. She sits down beside me and reaches for my hand.

“Peaches,” Tom says softly.

Steph’s cheeks flush. “It’s my shampoo.”

“Reminds me of summers on my granddad’s peach farm in Virginia. Have I ever told you about that, Brandon?”

Steph and I share a smile.

“No, Tom, you never have.”

“I haven’t? Well, I was probably twelve years old . . .”

We spend the rest of the afternoon listening to Staff Sergeant Tom McBride tell us about his summers on his grandfather’s farm. I listen to his voice and I commit it to memory, because I never want to forget it.

I never want to forget him.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Stephanie

“Say it with me.”

“Say what?”

“ ‘My name is Stephanie James, and I am a book hoarder.’ ”

As I stare at the disaster of books on my bedroom floor, it’s really hard to argue with my best friend.

But I do it anyway.

“I am not a hoarder. I just love my books.”

Tessa examines the spine of my old paperback copy of Judy Blume’s
Forever
. “You know, when I was thirteen, I thought this book was scandalous. I was so innocent back then.”

“I used to sit in the back of my high school library and read it.” I nod toward the paperback in her hand. “I checked it out so much the librarian finally just gave it to me.”

She laughs and adds the book to the box. “Maybe you should have been a librarian instead of an English teacher.”

“Maybe. Too late now.” With a deep sigh, I take a good look around my bedroom. “You know, I don’t remember
un
packing all this stuff. Where did it come from?”

“Hoarder,” Tessa whispers, and I throw a pillow at her head.

“Careful now. I’m carrying your niece, you know.”

“Xavier says it’s my nephew.”

“Whatever.” She rolls her eyes, but I know she secretly loves it.

It’s been two weeks since she told Xavier he was going to be a father, and according to Tessa, his reaction was fairly epic.

She didn’t go into detail, but I heard there were tears.

From there, everything just fell into place with their families, basically because the parents didn’t have a choice. Xavier immediately adopted a “We’re having a baby and we don’t give a crap what you think” attitude, which impressed his parents and reassured hers that he was going to take care of their daughter and grandchild.

“So, Mommy, have you thought any more about Xavier’s proposal?”

She makes a face. “No, I have not. He hadn’t proposed to me
before
we got pregnant. Why should he propose now?”

“Because you’re going to be together forever anyway. You might as well get started.”

“Well, what about you and Brandon?”

“What about us?”

“What if he proposed before he went off to training? Would you say yes?”

I shake my head and reach for another empty box.

“Brandon and I are in a totally different situation. We’ve only been together a few months.”

“But you want him forever, right?”

“I do, but we realize it’s way too soon to be making any sort of commitment to each other. Maybe later, when we have a better idea of where we will be.”

“Where
we
will be?”

I throw another pillow at her head.

Smiling sweetly, Tessa stands up and starts removing what few posters and pictures I have hanging around the room.

“It’s not like I don’t
want
to marry Xavier,” she says. “I just don’t want the baby to be the reason we do it.”

“I know. But he was going to ask eventually.”

“But he wouldn’t have asked
now
.”

I place the lid on the box and stack it with the others next to the door. “I still think you should consider it. And that’s the last thing I’ll say on the subject.”

“Good, because now I have a serious question to ask you.”

“Shoot.”

“Where are all these boxes going?”

“With me, back to Mom’s for the summer.”

“And then?”

“And then I don’t know.”

Tessa pushes another box in my direction, and I add it to the heap.

“You are applying to teach, right?”

“Of course.”

She narrows her eyes.

“Okay, I haven’t applied anywhere yet. Technically, I can’t until I graduate.”

“And then you’ll apply, right?”

Trying to avoid eye contact, I glance around my bare bedroom. “We’ve done a good job in here. Ready for the pantry?”

Tessa nods and follows me out of my room toward the kitchen. Truthfully, there isn’t much to pack. She took all the fun appliances with her when she moved. I didn’t mind. The professional grade mixer and food processor would have just collected dust if she’d left them behind.

She starts in the pantry, tossing out-of-date cans and boxes into the trash while I head to the drawers.

“Does every house have a junk drawer?” I wonder aloud.

“Yes. And you didn’t answer my question, Steph.”

With a sigh, I leaf through a mound of junk mail before throwing it all in the trash.

“Of course I’ll apply somewhere, Tessa.”

“Yes, but when?”

“When I know exactly where Brandon will be stationed.”

Tessa nods and continues clearing out my cabinet. She doesn’t have to say it, but I can feel the disapproval radiating from her. I know what she’s thinking, and she’s not wrong.

I’m putting my life on hold for Brandon.

“It just seems pointless, Tessa. Why apply for jobs when I don’t even know where I’ll be?”

An old box of cereal flies through the air, landing in the garbage can.

“And what if you miss out on a really great job opportunity?” she asks.

“There will be other great job opportunities.”

“How do you know?”

“I don’t
know
, Tessa. I wish I had a crystal ball that would give me all the answers I need, but I don’t. For the first time in my life, I’m choosing to have faith. I love him. We are going to make it work, no matter what.”

“And that’s all wonderful, but what if Brandon is stationed somewhere you can’t go? Then you’re alone
and
unemployed.”

I slam the drawer shut. “Why are you doing this?”

Tessa sighs softly and closes the pantry door. “I just hate to see you put your life on hold. You’ve worked so hard, Steph. The girl who always has a plan suddenly doesn’t have one at all. It makes me nervous for you.”

“But we
do
have a plan. Once he gets his post, I’ll start applying for teaching jobs in the area. Some of the schools don’t start until after Labor Day anyway. If I can’t go with him, then I’ll stay with Mom and apply to schools in Indianapolis. I’ll find something, even if I have to substitute teach for a while.”

Defeated and tired, I drop into one of the kitchen chairs.

“Tessa, I can only control so much. I’m trying to stay positive and hopeful, and having you question it really upsets me considering I’ve done nothing but be supportive of you.”

“Steph, I didn’t mean—”

“Yes, you did mean it, and I get it. I do. Yes, I’m choosing to put my life on hold for a few months, but I’m doing it in hopes that it will lead to years of something wonderful. Can’t you, of all people, understand that?”