Login with:

Facebook

Twitter

Tumblr

Google

Yahoo

Aol.

Mibba

Your info will not be visible on the site. After logging in for the first time you'll be able to choose your display name.

Times Like These

Chapter twenty

BRIAN POV

I watched Nichole and her mom closely as two uniformed men approached them. Danielle had left her seat beside Matt to stand on the opposite side of her mother, automatically grabbing her right hand. “Ma’am, is this the home of Sergeant Mark Phillips?” One of the men asked, looking right at Jan, who could only nod. “I regret to inform you that Sergeant Phillips was killed in action last night while on patrol on Fallujah. Oh behalf of the United States Army, I am so deeply sorry ma’am.” I stood up from my chair as soon as the words left the soldier’s mouth. Nikki grabbed her mother in her arms, while Dani collapsed against Matt’s chest, sobbing. I wrapped my arms around both Jan and her daughter, holding them as tightly as I could. The chaplain suggested to Jan that they should go inside and talk more, and she agreed, leading the men into her home with Danielle and Matt following. Nikki made no move to go inside the house, and I made sure to stay right beside her. She just stood there, still as stone, staring out into the yard. “Baby, do you want to go inside with the others?” I asked gently, placing a hand on her lower back. When she turned to look at me, I felt my heart break into a million pieces. Her eyes were full of unshed tears and her bottom lip was trembling. I immediately pulled her into my arms and laid my head on top of hers as she cried, her tiny hands clutching the fabric of my shirt. “I am so sorry babe.” I whispered. “I talked to him yesterday morning.” She said softly, her head against my chest, “I can’t believe he’s gone.” We stood there in silence for a few more minutes before her head jerked off my chest. “Oh my god. Dad. I have to call my dad.” She said, fumbling to get her phone out of her back pocket. I gently pulled the phone out of her hands with a sad smile, “Here. I got it.” She nodded and I dialed her father’s number, “Hey sweetheart, what’s up?” He asked as he answered the phone. “Uh, Hey Terry. It’s actually Brian. Listen, Nikki is fine, but you need to get over here as soon as you can. That’s all I can say right now.” We disconnected when Terry said he would be over soon, and I slid her phone into my pocket. “Come on babe, let’s go inside and sit with your mom.” Nikki nodded and allowed me to lead her into the house, where her mother and sister were talking to the Chaplain.

When Terry’s motorcycle came roaring toward the house,
Dani darted out the front door with Nikki following right behind her. I looked at Matt, who stood and went to follow his girlfriend outside, and nodded to Jan, who was sitting alone on the couch. He nodded and walked toward the door, and I got up from my spot on the recliner to sit beside my girlfriend’s mother. “Oh sweetheart, I’m so sorry you’re having to deal with this on your trip.” She said sadly, looking down at her hands. “Jan, I love your daughter, more than anyone I have ever loved in my life. There is truly no where else I would rather be right now. I just wish the circumstances were better.” The older woman nodded and sighed, “I don’t know what to do now. My girls, they live on the west coast. I stayed here for Mark, but he’s gone now. I don’t know what to do.” I gently wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “Jan, we will worry about that when the time comes, is there anyone you’d like for me to call?” She nodded and gave me a list of people to call,
mainly her parents and siblings, and soon everyone was on their way over to the house.

—————————NICHOLE POV——————————

I was sitting on my mother’s couch, sandwiched in between Brian and Wilson. There are people everywhere in the house, but I can’t bring myself to talk to anyone. I feel like I’m walking through a dream, like there is no way in hell this is real life. My head feels like it’s in a wind tunnel, everything is muffled except for my own thoughts. My brother is dead. I’m never going to see him again. Apparently when he died, he threw himself on a grenade and saved four other guys, which obviously makes him a hero. How in the hell am I supposed to help plan my brother’s funeral? How is my mom supposed to plan her son’s funeral? You’re not supposed to outlive your children. I feel so empty inside, like all the life has been completely sucked out of me. I excused myself from the living room and went to sit on the porch by myself. I couldn’t breathe, it felt like there was a fifty pound weight sitting on my chest and I couldn’t get it off. I didn’t realized someone was outside with me until I felt hands on my shoulders, “Nikki! Nick, breathe. You’ve gotta breathe babe.” Brian said, causing me to look into his deep chocolate orbs. I tried taking deep breaths but I felt like I was suffocating. “I c-c-can’t.” I whispered. “Nikki, come on. You can do this.” My boyfriend said, taking deep breaths of his own. He stared right into my eyes and eventually I was mimicking his breathing. “Good. There you go babe. You’re gonna be okay. I promise. I know it hurts and I know you feel like you’re suffocating, but I promise you will be okay.” He said softly, kissing my forehead. He stood in front of me with his hands on my shoulders for what felt like an eternity, and I finally felt like I could breathe okay again when the house started clearing out, leaving me,
my sister, our parents and grandparents, and Brian and Matt in the house. Brian had stepped into my room to make a phone call, and I was sitting on the couch, my head laid on my Papa’s shoulder. “You know, I remember that time your brother got in huge trouble at my house for lighting that coke can on fire in the kitchen.” He said, patting my knee, causing me to chuckle weakly. “He got all three of us in trouble with that one. I’m pretty sure that’s the only time you ever whipped me and Dani.” “Remember when we were younger and we would hide out in that ditch beside Papa’s house and tie those wild onion things together and throw them at people we didn’t like?” Dani said, “I distinctly remember you hitting your aunt’s boyfriend in the back of the head with one of those.” Grandma laughed, recalling the memory. “You three never liked him.” “Hey, we are a good judge of character.” I defended with a laugh. “You girls keep these memories inside you, for as long as you live.” Our Gran said, “I know you two are hurting, we all are, but we need to remember Mark. The type of person he was, and all the memories we had with him.” “Even the memory of when he and Dani got into a fight over a steak and she threw the entire plate at him, knife and all?” I asked with a smile, causing the room to erupt into laughter. “Hey, he tried to eat my steak. I’m territorial over my food.” Dani said.


The hours continued to pass while we all swapped memories and old stories of Mark, when everyone other than Mom decided to head home. Her parents hugged her tightly, and said they would be back first thing in the morning. When my dad and stepmom left, my dad shook Brian’s hand and pulled him into a hug. “Thank you for being here, son. She’s going to need you these next few days.” He said quietly, although I could still hear him. I smiled gently at my father and Brian, when my boyfriend said “I’ll be here as long as she’ll let me.” Once everyone had left, mom retreated up to her room, saying she was going to take a bath and lie down. I sighed heavily and looked at Brian, “What do I do now?” “Well, we can go lay down and watch a movie, or we could just go to bed. You just take it one day at a time, baby.” He said, pulling me into his arms. “Let’s go watch a movie.” Brian nodded and when I went to tell Dani and Matt goodnight, she pulled me into a hug and squeezed me as tight as she could. “I love you so much, sister.” She whispered into my ear, causing me to tear up. “I love you too, Dan.” I said, voice cracking. Brian and I made it downstairs and changed into some pajamas before we settled on a movie, which happened to be Twilight. “I like to watch cheesy movies when I’m sad.” I shrugged, climbing into the bed. Brian didn’t say anything, but pulled me into his arms so my head was laying on his chest, and we stayed that way, eventually drifting off to sleep, trying to prepare ourselves for the next few days to come.

Notes

Comments

caught up again, drunk Nikki and Dani are funny :D

Loved the updates :D I'm glad she's okay :)

Loved the update! Loving Zeus

Ugh there goes Michelle ruining shit. I’m glad she went to
him! I can’t wait for more

Oh no....I have a feeling i know where this is going...