Page 3 of Major Love

But it only takes a moment to change the course of a life.

“Mom?” I ask gently, before quickly looking down at my pretty tulle skirt.

Is my dress twisted?I wonder.Did I go too far with the mascara?

But when I look back up, I know that it has nothing to do with the dress, or the mascara, or anything that tonight was supposed to be about.

It’s about something else entirely, and I touch my stomach, suddenly nervous.

“Mom?” I ask again, my voice more breathless now as I look up at her.

She exhales slowly, maintaining her calm demeanour, but she squeezes the phone against her chest, cradling it to her heart like she can’t let go.

And, even before she says it, it’s like my body already knows.

Because we don’t get random calls on our landline phone.

We only ever get calls from Cash.

Cash, whose deployment was extended two weeks ago.

Cash, who was supposed to be home by next month.

Cash.

“Oh my God,” I whisper, stumbling over my ballet flats on the hallway floor, my world tilting on its axis as my heart begins to thunder.

I know what she’s going to say.

I just know it, deep in my soul.

“Sunday,” my mom starts, wincing like there’s a pain deep in her chest.

Like her heart is cracking in two.

“I just got a call,” she tells me, her words gentle and slow. “And according to the guys on the phone… there was an incident, Sunday.”

No.

I back up a step.

Please, please, no.

“And Cash… he was there.”

My back hits the door behind me, my body too numb to register the impact.

My mom shakes her head.

“He didn’t make it, Sunday.”

My chest hitches on a deep inhale, but my lungs feel too tight to draw in the air.

So I suck in another breath, clutching my heart to no avail.

It’s already breaking. The damage is already done.

And before either of us can say anything, the phone blares in my mom’s hand, making both of us jump before she hesitates and hits the answer button.

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