Shattered Dreams Read Online Free Page B

sign that she is going to worry. We have troops
doing a tour of duty in the Middle East, and there is talk of
sending more over to help them out.  
    “ Em?”  
    She slowly looks up and doesn’t say anything.
I can see the sadness and worry in her eyes.  
    I say, “Don’t worry, we don’t know what the
meeting is about. There’s no need to worry.” 
    She nods. “If you’ll please excuse me,” she
says, before standing and taking her bowl into the
kitchen. 
    “ I’m sorry, son. I didn’t
realize she was that worried.” 
    “ Danny, of course, she’s
worried. It’s hard being an Army wife. All she does is worry about
him,” mom says.  
    “ Mom, dad, please excuse
me.” I stand and walk into the kitchen where Emma is standing at
the window looking outside at the two deer in the backyard. I walk
up behind her and wrap my arms around her. She leans back into me
and rests her head on my chest.  
    “ I’m sorry, he didn’t mean
to upset you.” 
    “ He didn’t, I worry anyway.”
Emma turns around and looks up at me. She is only 5’3” and is
significantly shorter than me. I look down at her and smile. “Max,
when your four years are up, I want you to get out of the service,
move back to Florida, and raise James around our
family.”  
    “ Emma?” 
    “ Max, no, you listen to me.
When we got married, you said you would enlist for four years. You
have two years left. I don’t want to be here and have to worry
about you and what kind of training you are doing today or
tomorrow, or the next day. I don’t want to know what kind of
weapons of mass destructions are in the world. I don’t want to have
to worry if you’ll be home tonight or if you won’t be home at
all.” 
    I look at Emma and I can see her pain. Her
eyes are always so honest; they reveal the truth of her thoughts.
Her lip quivers, her eyes well up with tears, and her fair-skinned
face instantly becomes blotchy. I hold her and wrap her safely into
my arms.  
    “ I’m sorry,
Em.” 
    She shakes her head. I bend down to kiss her
soft smooth hair. She smells like James. I close my eyes and
picture my perfect family. “All right,” I say.  
    She slowly looks up at me with tear-stained
cheeks. “Really? Do you mean that?” 
    “ I do, I only want you and
James to be happy. In two more years, we’ll pack up and move back
to Florida.”  
    “ You won’t change your
mind?” she asks, hesitantly.  
    “ No, if that’s what you
want. We’ll move back to Florida.” 
    “ Oh, Max. Thank
you.” 
    “ Em, I just want you and
James. I don’t care where we are, as long as I have you two by my
side.” I smile and say, “Always and forever.” 
    Emma smiles, too, and says, “Forever and
always.”  
    We both laugh. Mom and dad walk into the
room. “What is so funny?” my dad asks. 
    “ Your son — he can never get
our saying right.” Emma pulls away from me and wipes the tears from
her cheeks.  
    “ Emma, I’m sorry. I didn’t
realize the mention of the meeting tomorrow would upset you. That
was very inconsiderate of me. I didn’t mean to ruin your dinner,”
my dad says. 
    “ Danny, it wasn’t you. Since
I had James, I am just one big emotional wreck. These hormones are
going crazy,” Emma says, wiping her cheek and straightening her
hair with her fingers.  
    “ Please accept my apologies.
I didn’t mean any harm.” 
    “ I know that. Do you want to
hear some good news?” Emma beams. 
    “ We would love to,” my dad
says, standing tall and confident beside my
mother.  
    “ We are going to move back
to Florida in two years. You guys will get to watch James grow
up.” 
    My father doesn’t say anything, but my mother
runs over and hugs Emma. Having been a military wife, my mother can
relate to Emma’s concerns and worries. “Oh, Emma, I get to be near
my grandbaby. This is wonderful news.” 
    I step away from Emma and walk into the
living room to get James from his bassinette.