The Great War pt.4

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"Come here", he said, nuzzling her into him. He ducked his face into her neck, smelling her rose scent. 

Suddenly, in the midst of their embrace, the train's loud horn blew, signaling that the dreaded hour had arrived. 

Taylor began breathing heavily, her grip on Travis intensifying.  

Surrounding them, several wives and girlfriends clung to their man, begging them to stay. But Taylor wasn't ignorant and understood the reasons for him to go. She just wished with all her heart he didn't have to go. 

"Shh, breath", said Travis, pulling her closer. 

Her sobbing started all over again against her wishes. "Shhh", he sushed, swaying her gently. 

"Hey, hey. Look at me". 

He pried Taylor from him gently, putting both hands on her sides. "I love you so, so, so, so, so much. This situation is not fair but I need you to be strong, sweetheart. I know you are. Be there for Archie. Continue to live your life. And make sure this baby and Archie and you know how much I love them". 

Taylor nodded, not trying to hold back her tears. She leaned in and kissed him, pressing a hand on his cheek.

She felt a kick in her belly. She took Travis's hand and placed it on her big belly, a sad but happy smile on his face. 

"I love you so much", he said, couching down to kiss her belly. People stared but who cared? That was his child and he loved it very much.

"Bye buddy", Travis said, scooping Archie up, placing kisses on his cheek. "Oh, I love you so much", he said, hugging the boy tightly. "Daddy loves you, alright?", he said. 

"Hey. I have something for you", Travis said, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a small blue box. It was a small framed black and white picture of Archie on Travis's lap. It was expensive to print a picture off. 

Taylor sobbed, clutching her active bump for comfort. This couldn't be real. This shouldn't be happening. 

"You keep this safe for me", Travis said, handing Taylor the picture for Archie. 

Taylor nodded, too overcome by tears. 

"Don't think I forgot about you", Travis said, pulling a white, fancy jewelry box out of his pocket.

"Trav", she started. She opened the box, amazed. It was a locket. She pried the piece of jewelry open. It revealed a picture of Taylor and Travis, taken a few years ago.  

"If you ever miss me, just wear this, my love", he said. 

"Thank you", she whispered, hugging him tightly. 

"Of course sweetie". 

"I love you mama", said Travis, reaching down to hug her. "I love you too Travis. Be careful", Donna warned. 

"I will be mama", he promised.

After saying their tearful and giving their last minute hugs and kisses, Travis boarded the train with several fit, tear stained eyed-men. 

They waved farewell, Taylor watching the train as far as she could. 

The second Travis left felt like a presence had once been there but now it was gone.

She was too sad to cry, to scared to talk about it. 

Taylor didn't realize that she was letting out soft sobs as she clutched her son. 

"Shh, honey", Donna soothed. She took Taylor's hand, squeezing it. "Travis loves you so much. Seriously, I've never seen that boy care about a person so much. He will do everything in his power to make it home to your little family", comforted Donna. 

Taylor nodded, choking up. 

"I can tell that you love him back", Donna said, wiping a few remaining tears away from her own face. 

Taylor nodded. "I love him more than anything", she said, sniffling. 

"That's so beautiful. I never got the pleasure of loving somebody. Travis may have told you, but his father was abusive to me and his siblings. No need to go into the details of it, but his father never loved me and I felt the opposite of love for him. I raised Travis to respect women and not be so narcissistic like his father, and it seems to have worked if he was able to attract a beautiful woman like yourself", said Donna. 

Donna's voice seemed to calm Taylor down, helping place her thought on other things than the looming loneliness that hung over her. She missed her best friend, husband, father of her children, and the love of her life already.

"Oh, thank you", said Taylor, shifting Archie in her arms. 

"Dada?", he asked. 

"Dada went bye bye, remember?", reminded Taylor. 

Archie nodded, laying his head on Taylor's chest. 

Taylor took a deep breath. "It was nice seeing you again". 

"You too. Just let me know when that grandchild of mine is on the way and I'll be on the first train", promised Donna. 

"Oh, thank you. I would appreciate that", said a relieved Taylor. 

"Of course Taylor. I should be going now. Bye Archie", said Donna, blowing kisses as her travel nurse wheeled her away. 

Taylor stood there, alone. She pushed her emotions aside, walking to the car. 

"Be safe", she whispered, looking to the sky for a brief second. She hoped that the heavens somehow heard her and put her wishes into fate's destiny. 

She arrived at home, carrying a sleeping Archie inside. She placed him in his crib, spreading his security blanket on top of him. 

She kissed the boy's head, shutting the door behind her. 

She felt her lip quiver, sniffling as she headed to her bedroom to try to get a nap in before Archie awoke. 

She couldn't get comfortable at all so she resorted to her ultimate comfort mechanism. She wobbled to the closed, pulling Travis's old High School Letterman's jacket and placing it over her shoulders. 

She felt something scratch her back, so she took the jacket off and examined it. She found a note. 

The note read:

  I love you more than you'll ever know. May this jacket and the locket keep your beautiful self going while our beautiful memories keep me going out here. Tell Archie and the baby I love them very much.

                  P.S I made sure to lay on my pillow extra so it still smells like me (you know you want to)

                                                           With My Whole Heart, your husband who loves you very much

Taylor sobbed, out of sadness and joy. This man really knew how to make her feel better. He just knew that this would be the first jacket she would choose. He just knew that she was planning on sleeping on his pillow. 

With tears in her eyes, she lay on Travis's scented pillow. It was hard to think that just this morning he had laid beside her in this exact spot. 

She engulfed her nose in the pillow, getting a full scent of her husband. It was as if he was there with her, protecting her somehow. "I love you", she whispered into the pillow, hoping it would magically transmit to Travis. 


This chapter is so sad! But I still loved writing it (off WiFi). I like to imagine what it must have been like for my great grandpa and my great grandma being separated by the war, so that's what's keeping this idea going. Thanks for reading and don't forget to comment or vote OR if u have any ideas lmk<3


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