These Things We Do

The monotone military voice she had gotten used to over the last few years boomed over the speaker in the hall, announcing fifteen minutes until her departure for Kandahar. She looked down at her hands in disappointment as her fellow PJs said their goodbyes to their families.

She would never admit it out loud, but it kinda sucked not having anyone there to say goodbye to her. She had said her goodbyes to her high school friends the previous night, her older brother was in Iraq with the Army, she hadn’t seen her mother since she was a child, and her father had passed away less than three years ago. That only left her family in orange, who she knew were flying in from Toronto and probably wouldn’t make it in time. She understood why, but she really wished she had the chance to see Sean one more time before she left for a year. She knew how much the NatGeo show scared him, even though he wouldn’t admit it. She knew he was going to be worried about her. She could just tell. Truth be told, she was a little worried herself. It was her first deployment with the PJs and she didn’t really know what to expect. She was heading right into the most dangerous war zone in the world.

She thought back to the day when she first met Philly’s most attractive group of men two years ago. Her friend Mike from basic training had convinced her to join him and a group of other military members on a trip to meet the Flyers at their practice center in Vorhees. She didn’t really think they belonged, since they were still in training but he was persistent. She was glad she finally gave in and she was even more glad that Mike agreed to go to dinner with them that night because it gave her the chance to meet some of the greatest people she’s ever known. Especially Sean. The two eighteen year olds formed a quick bond that certainly didn’t go unnoticed by Mike or his teammates.

For some crazy reason everyone thought the young pair were more than just friends. Not that she would mind being with Sean. But there was no way that could ever happen. He was the superstar athlete who stole Philly’s heart at the tender age of eighteen. He was the promise of the future for the city’s athletic teams. He was the young demigod that every girl in Philly would sell her soul to the devil for an hour alone with. And she was just a simple military girl with a pathetic excuse for a personal life. He could certainly do better, and she knew it.

Even though she swore she never would, she had fallen for the one guy she knew she could never have. It happened the day she got the call telling her she was going to be deployed to Kandahar for a year. The day before his twentieth birthday. Her immediate thought after hanging up her phone was Sean. How was she supposed to leave him? She knew the season was not going the way they wanted it to. He needed her there with him. But now she had to leave.

The thoughts of Sean threatened to bring tears to her eyes. She couldn’t stand weakness, so she had to find a way to interrupt her thoughts. She knew she had less than ten minutes left. As she lifted her head, she caught the gaze of the gorgeous brown eyes she had come to know so well. He was here. He had made it. Her heart threatened to stop right then and there. Sean had come for her. Without any words, she stood and wrapped her arms around his stomach. She nuzzled her head into the spot in his chest she had grown used to. The spot where she knew she could hear his strong heart beat. She breathed in his inherently male scent as he wrapped one strong arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. His other hand started caressing her cheek and she sighed lightly. Her worries and fears instantly melted away. God, she loved this feeling.

Surprisingly Sean didn’t say anything, which was quite unlike him. The boy certainly had a reputation for running his mouth at the most awkward times. But she was okay with the silence. She wanted to spend these last five minutes wrapped in his arms ignoring the world around them. With one minute left before she had to board the plane, she finally pulled away and spoke to him.

“I didn’t think you’d make it” she said.

Notes