On That Day, Ten Years Ago

[Travi]

The weather was a bit cooler than usual for this time of year, but she had decided to forgo the long sleeves and don her sweater instead. Allison had waited for only a few minutes now, having arrived earlier than she had planned. There was still much on her mind that she needed to sort, and she wasn't sure she had enough time now. The sun had just begun setting on the horizon of the autumn evening, prompting her to anxiously check her watch. 7:58 - she sighed at the thought and kicked her dangling legs a bit while she stared at the pristine pond thirty yards away.
This spot was their favorite - the strongest tree branch on the mighty oak that had been there as long as she could remember. He had found it while they were playing as kids, and it was the most memorable spot that she had. They had played by this tree, sat and talked under it for hours, shared their first kiss here, and was even the sight of his proposals for the events that had enjoyed in his senior prom and military ball. The thoughts made her smile gently as she giggled at the more childhood thoughts instead of the recent.

"Sorry I'm late." a voice called. Breaking her trance, Allison looked between her legs and noticed her boyfriend clawing his way up the trunk and in no time, taking his spot next to her on the branch. Instinctively, she nuzzled into him and absorbed his body warmth - and maybe the warmth that came from the love between them. As his arm went around her shoulders, she let out a mild sigh of comfort and smiled as a long moment of silence overtook them both - the only disturbances being the distant sounds of birds, insects, and miscellaneous wildlife. "You said you wanted to talk to me about something?"
With that, her moment was done as she sighed deeply. "Travi..." she began, straightening herself out. "...you scored nearly as well on me on your exit exams.
Slumping forward a bit, she watched as he nodded in agreement before he turned to her. "Yeah, I was surprised I did that well. I didn't cheat, I swear it." he joked.
"No...that's why I wanted to talk to you. Why are you joining the military?" her thoughts all came to her at once now that she had put her mind to it.

Travi's demeanor changed just as quick as her thoughts came. "So we're back to that huh?" he inquired, giving a lopsided expression. "I don't know - it just always felt like my calling. Every Gladius in my family has served - going back for a long while. It's just the duty of a Gladius."
The answer did not sit well with his girlfriend. At all. "Travi, people die in the military."
"I'm aware." he nodded. "And I can't guarantee that I won't be one of the ones who won't."

Allison's eyes widened immediately at the reply. "Don't talk like that!" she cried. "I couldn't imagine losing you." she watched as he let a gentle smile purse his lips. That smile. That beautiful smile that she had seen so many times.

"Hey, I've stayed alive this long - why quit?" he chuckled, trying to make light of the situation.
"This isn't funny!" she said forcibly, her hands darting over to grasp those of her boyfriend. The hands that had held her so many times, connected to the arms she had found so much comfort in over the years. She could tell by his reaction that his mind was made up, and there was no talking him out of it. "Okay...look, I know I can't talk you out of this. Your mind is made up." she paused for a long spell before taking a deep breath. "So, let's make a promise...please?"
Travi turned his attention back to his gal and gave his approval on it. "Sure, what's that?"
"Promise me, that you will come home safe." she said, her azure blue eyes staring into the emeralds of her other half. "Come back home, to me. To the girl that loves you." Allison did her best to hold back some tears as she snuggled into him. "I love you Travi. So please promise me, you'll come back to me."

After absorbing the words, Travi flashed his smile once more. That knowing, coy smile that made her heart flutter. "I promise."
Closing her eyes, she wrapped her arms around his torso as she felt his go around her. Burying her head into his chest, she sighed and smiled softly. "I wish I could convince you to stay. But thank you. I will wait for you Travi, as long as it takes."

 

The star-crossed pair.

Excerpt from my book, not sure why I felt like rewriting this part - but it's just something I did out of boredom. Bleh.