Page 109 of Forever Fickle

“I’ve gotta go, my love…” he whispered regretfully.

“I know,” she smiled tearfully. “I will be waiting for you.”

“Head out to your car, sweetheart, so you don’t get caught in the storm… and I’ll call you from Heathrow, okay? I don’t know what time it will be here, but I’ll call you, okay?”

“You better…” she chuckled.

“I will,” he vowed, quickly kissing her again, needing to memorize the taste of her and the feel of her lips. “I love you, wife.”

“And I love you, Hot Cakes,” she chuckled tearfully, swatting him boldly on the backside, and he knew she was trying to make him smile.

It worked.

“You know it…” he whispered painfully. “Everything in me is all yours – and your husband is coming home as fast as he can.”

“Good.”

He stepped back and it felt like he was ripping a part of his soul from his chest, turning to walk away from the one person he would give up everything for.

He understood so much now, what Reaper meant, the wisdom his father had passed along to him over the years, and understood how his friends felt when they met their spouses.

Falling in love with your soulmate was encompassing and beautiful.

“I’m the luckiest man alive to have met and married you Karen Sorensen,” Jace called out, cupping his hand to his mouth so she could hear him over the announcements as he lined up to get on the airplane. “I’m yours, and you are mine, forever.”

“Forever and a day, husband,” Karen called out, waving tearfully. “I love you, Jace!”

“Love you, Tinkerbell!” he hollered unabashedly, waving one last time before he had to walk down the pedway towards the plane.

He sniffed back tears and wiped his eyes on his sleeve, knowing that if he was in Afghanistan, he would have to run laps for messing up his uniform… and the boys would tease him hard about being such a crybaby.

His phone buzzed.

I’m waiting for you… come back home when you can, husband.

Karen attached a photo of the two of them, smiling and holding each other at Thanksgiving. He knew, deep in his heart, that she wasn’t smiling right now. She was probably sitting at the gate in shock, waiting.

I promise I will, my beloved wife. Please head home, Karen. I don’t want to worry about you being on the road after dark. It’s two hours to Yonder. I love you, Tink… always.

Will do, Hot Cakes.

* * *

Karen sat thereat the gate, unable to tear her eyes away from the plane in the distance, knowing a piece of her soul was leaving without her.

CHAPTER29

KAREN

Karen was sittingon the couch, waiting by her phone, afraid to go to sleep or lie down, because she didn’t want to miss Jace’s phone call when he got to Heathrow. She looked it up and it was a nine-hour flight and he’d left DFW close to four in the evening… which meant she still had almost three hours before he might have a chance to call.

Her phone beeped at that moment, and she jumped at the notification. Who would be texting her this late in the evening? It was almost ten o’clock at night and she was beyond exhausted.

She saw Firefly had texted – and appreciated him reaching out.

Hey Kare-bear, sorry to text you so late. Wanted to let you know that Glory is in labor at the hospital. No rush. Come by in the morning and give me all the dirt on my favorite dude…

She’s having the babies?Karen texted back almost immediately… seeing three dots appear, before her phone rang.

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