A Soldier in Love (35 page)

“So, before you were
taken I’ve been meaning to ask what did the priest tell
you?
”
Serik asked.

“He told me I had to
let go of the anger I had held on to for so long. He gave me a sort of peace
and understanding of some bad things that happened in my life,” Michelle
replied.

Serik gave her a
serious look. “And give up being a solider? Give up avenging your parents?”

“Because I love you and
I realized that isn’t what is important. I went to fight because I was angry,
so angry. I was angry at everything that had happened to me. It wasn’t until I
met with the priest that I realized that the best way I could honor my parents
was to be like them,” she replied.

“What do you mean?” Serik
asked.

“They were
both loving
, caring, kind, and happy,” Michelle said.

“You make me happy and
you are all of those things.”

“We are both all of
those things,” she said as she put a protective hand over her now large and swollen
pregnant belly.

“So, what did the
priest tell you?” Michelle inquired.

“That I was lucky,” he
grinned.

“I’ve been telling you
that all along!” she grinned as his large rough hand intertwined with her small
delicate one.

“Are
you ready for our new life on Sora?” he asked.

Michelle couldn’t help
but to smile. “I’m excited, Serik. I’m going to be a mom. We’re going to have a
home and a maybe a dog or even a walafano. Most of all, I’m excited to spend
the rest of my life with you, Serik.”

He moved in closer
pressing his large lips against her smaller ones in the form of an affectionate
kiss.

“It will be the way
things should have been all along,” he replied.

Michelle sat on the back
porch and watched Serik and their son play together. After much debate, they
had decided on a traditional Baat name,
Lenus
. He had
inherited her looks mostly. He had red hair and green eyes with specs of Serik’s
hazel and blue.

She could hear laughing
and giggling. Serik chased
Lenus
around the backyard
as he squealed in delight. Their walafano barked and wagged its tail as he
joined in the fun.

She had given up a lot but
in return she had gained more than she could have ever asked for.

She could forgive but
she would never forget. Many nights she was tired and she would drift off right
away. Other nights her soul would keep her awake. Those were times when she
would lay awake thinking of everything that had happened. She could often see
Alex’s pained face, hear the sound of the molcos hund’s growl, and sometimes
she swore she could feel the heat of Redex still in her bones. Other nights
were spent restless with thoughts of Amy and Eric. They had once cared for her.
She knew they had once loved her on Earth. Did they truly mean their actions or
were they brainwashed by the Earth Army? Either way, how could she possibly help
them at this point? Was it selfish to leave them there? She figured you had to
be a little selfish or you’d never get anywhere in life.

No, her priority was
her own family, she would tell herself. Serik and
Lenus
made the pain disappear but she would always be a soldier at heart. She would
always have the fight within her soul when the right cause appeared, but for
now it had died down.

Michelle watched as the
sun began to set in the sky.

She had lost Earth, but
she had gained something more important. She had found her place in the
universe after all.