Page 18 of Unsteady in Love

To:[email protected]

From:[email protected]

Subject: Re: Officially Worried

Date: March 25, 2018 3:25 am

Prue,

I’m alive and so fucking tired. After I get some sleep, I’ll try to Skype you.

Talk to you soon,

Holden

* * *

If anyone would have toldme three years ago, or even three months ago, that I would be happy to hear from Holden, I would have laughed in their face. After getting his email, I danced around the house, smiled, and laughed for the first time in months. Then I sat around my laptop all day hoping to hear from him again. As each passing hour went by, I started to worry again, but then had to remind myself there were many things that could prevent Holden from contacting me. He had other things to do that were more important than me.

Not giving up, I took my laptop into my bedroom and set it up on my nightstand. I wasn’t going to miss Holden contacting me because I had to get some sleep. For the past several days, I’d barely slept from worry and my imagination running away with me on what could have possibly happened to him.

For the first time since Holden had left me, I was happy that for the past three years I hadn’t gone through the torture of waiting for him to call and worrying about him incessantly. I wasn’t sure how military spouses did it for years on end because I’d only been doing it for a short while, and I was a nervous wreck most of the time. All I knew was that they were strong beyond belief.

As I laid my head on my pillow and hoped sleep would find me, my computer started doing it’s Do Dee Do Blup Blup Blup Do Dee Do Blup Blup Blup thing.

Sitting up with a giant grin on my face, I grabbed my computer and hit the video button. My eyes widened at the sight of Holden on my screen. He looked older than he had only a couple of months ago.

“Hey,” I called out happily.

The smile died on my face when Holden leaned forward to touch the screen with tears in his eyes. “Prue,” he choked out, his face almost touching the screen.

“I’m here. Talk to me.”

His eyes darted around taking me in, but he didn’t say a word as his face crumpled, and he broke down half a world away.

“Are you okay?” My nose started to tingle, and my eyes burned.

First nodding and then shaking his head, Holden took in a deep breath and composed himself. “You look beautiful,” he said hoarsely.

Blushing, I murmured a thank you and tried to smile, but the look on Holden’s face churned something deep inside of me. Something was wrong, and I had a feeling I wasn’t going to be successful in getting him to talk about it.

“I hate to be rude, but you don’t look so good. Since I last saw you, you’ve lost weight and you look so tired. Talk to me. Tell me what’s happening with you.”

“No,” he shook his head and closed his eyes. “I just need to hear your voice.” He opened his eyes with hope shining brightly back at me. “Tell me what’s going on with you. Did you buy the house?”

I let out a breath. I knew it was a long shot for him to tell me what had happened. I wanted to help him if I could, and if talking to him about my mundane life helped, I would do it.

“Not yet. I’ve been out of my mind worried about you. I couldn’t buy a house thinking the worst had happened to you.” Shit, that wasn’t helping matters, but it was the truth.

“I’m sorry, Prue. I got back to you as soon as I could. I always will. Sometimes it just takes a little longer.” He smiled sadly at me. “Tell me about the house.”

“I know nothing about houses and styles and all that, but the moment I stepped inside, I loved it. It feels like home. It has exposed beams everywhere and huge windows with gorgeous views. It has a few acres behind it that are filled with trees and even a little stream. It has five bedrooms, a den, and three fireplaces. There’s one in the living room and master bedroom, and then there’s one outside. Can you believe that?”

“It sounds perfect,” he smiled softly.

“It really is. You can change your mind if you want. You really don’t have to buy me a house. I’m thankful enough that you paid off my student loans and all my dad’s medical bills.”

“No, Prue,” he sat up straighter. “I want to do this for you. Buy the house. I don’t care how much it is or how big. Remember, you can always fill it up.”

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