A Soldier to Love (11 page)

Elsie looked at him, “not really.”

“I think you should because whatever it was placed a look on your face I’ve never seen before.”

She sighed, “this reminded me of a rough patch my family went through.”

“Oh,” he said as he finished placing the bandage on her finger.

“Yeah, it was something that none of us have ever really been able to understand.”

“You know you don’t talk about you family much.”

Sometimes she wished she could walk away from her family but she knew that was not an option. No the only option she had was distance and boundaries. Something she made sure she kept in place “not much to tell.”

He gave her a half smile “I think there is,” Eric stepped between her legs “your statement in the bedroom does it have something to do with you spacing out in the living room.”

Elsie released a breath, “yeah.”

“Want to talk? It can’t be as bad as my sister’s boyfriend stealing from us.”

She was going to avoid that statement she sighed, “I have a brother Anthony.”

“That I didn’t know.”

“I don’t talk about him. Anthony had been coddled all his life. He was my mother’s last. He wanted for nothing. Anthony started hanging around with the wrong crowd. I tried to talk to him but he wouldn’t listen and no one thought I knew what I was talking about since I was pregnant and a college dropout,” Elsie sighed “he met this girl Bryn. She was white and he and Bryn thought they were in love. She was rich and gave him money whenever he asked for it. She basically took over where my mother left off. Never making him work for anything he wanted. Anyway the money Bryn gave him he spent on drug for the both of them.

Bryn was a user of prescription drugs and Anthony dabbled in weed but after meeting Bryn both moved onto the heavier stuff. Before long both of them were strung out. My mother blamed Bryn. I told my Mom at twenty two he was old enough to make his own choices. Before long he was stealing from us. I cut him off. My mother wasn’t happy but I had to he had come to my home high and took Mara she was three at the time and outside playing. He took her to his dealer. He sold her. I got her back before anything could happen.”

“Oh honey,” Eric reached up and placed a hand on her cheek.

“He couldn’t come to my home anymore or be around Mara. My mother told me he was sick and we couldn’t turn our backs on him. But I had to protect Mara. I had to make sure she was ok and safe.”

Eric closed his eyes he released a breath “I-”

Elsie placed a hand on his cheek, “I know but I don’t want Julia to end up like Anthony.”

He opened his eyes and looked at her.

“Bryn’s family had finally had enough and forced her into rehab. She had been clean six months when Anthony showed on her door step. She refused to get back with him. Refused to be anywhere near him. He raped, beat then burned her alive. He was in jail five years serving a life sentence when he escaped and came to my mother’s. I called the police. Turned him in. My mother thought I had done it for the reward,” she swallowed “half of the reward is sitting in a trust account for Mara the other half is in an account to pay my mother’s bills without her knowing,” she sniffled.

“Honey”

“My mother didn’t talk to me for a year after I turned him in;” she rubbed her thumb along his cheek “I have been where you are now Eric. It’s hard but anything worth having is hard.”

He removed his hand and wrapped his arms around his wife, “I’m so sorry baby.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck, “I know.”

He kissed her temple now he understood part of his mother in law’s animosity towards him. Well that was her problem not his and he was not going to let her or his family hurt the woman in his arms.

Ok, so it wasn’t that funny then again it was. Elsie thought as she watched her husband try to wrangle the calf which was running from him. She laughed a loud when he fell on his face straight into the mud.

“This, my love is not funny.”

Elsie chuckled, “I beg to differ” she said as she walked over to him. She reached up and wiped some of the mud off of his face, “there. There’s the man I married.”

Eric wrapped his arms around her, “yes, this is” he said as he bent his head and placed his lips on hers. He deepened the kiss; it had been a long week for them. They’d moved out of Post housing and into Janelle’s house. Eric lifted his head he was done with the military and only wanted to be a farmer like his Uncle. Ok, not a farmer a cattleman. He’d decided to raise horse on the farm and a few heads of cattle. Elsie had been all for it. So they had moved to Hanson and he had put in his retirement papers.

“I love you.”

“I know,” Elsie said as she snuggled closer to him. She looked at the man holding her a year ago she didn’t know this man. Now she was married with two children and the most handsome man in the world was holding her.

“How could you?!”

Both faced Joanna’s voice.

“I’ll-”

“No,” Eric held on tighter to his wife he wanted her here for this. She was his strength even if she didn’t know it. “Hello Mother”

“Hello Mother is that all you have to say to me is hello Mother. Do you know you sister is sitting in county jail?”

“I do.”

“Why?”

“Because she stole from me”

“You don’t-”

“I do,” Eric released a breath. Julia and Jonny had been capture while trying to pawn Elsie’s necklace. “Julia needs help.”

“Jules is fine.”

“She’s not. She’s not fine and this will hopefully wake her up.”

“You are letting this woman lead you around by the nose.”

“No, I’m facing facts. I made excuses for you and Julia.”

“Eric”

“I have someone who has always shown me how to love; and someone who loves me in return. You paid one woman to leave me. Then you sent her to me again thinking she was going to break up my home well neither worked and they never will.”

“She’s your sister.”

“And she will always be but I cannot and will not be her crutch anymore.”

“I’m done with you.”

“I figured.”

“Your father would have never.”

“He would and I know he would have taken the brunt of this on himself because he would have thought he caused this but he didn’t. You did. You wanted her to be so much like you that she went down a path that only abandonment by those who care for her and want to see her get better can understand. You don’t want her better you want her dependant on you and that is no way to live. Once she is clean. I will welcome her with open arms but until then I have to let her go. I have a wife and daughters to think about.”

“You will –”

“I won’t. Goodbye mother,” on that Eric turned both he and Elsie and headed towards the house. He kissed his wife’s temple tonight he would love her. Tonight he would hold her. Tonight would be the beginning of a beautiful and happy life.

***

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