Always, All Ways, You and Me
Always, All Ways
Jena sighed. She didn't know why she was sitting here. The simple action of sitting on a bench broke her heart.
World War II was finally over and all the soldiers were returning home. A long time ago, she looked forward to this day, excited to see her beloved. But she hadn't had a letter from him in so long and no one seemed to have any word of him. She had had a feeling that the day he left would be their last together. She had just hoped she hadn't been right.
But now she sat on a bench at the train station, watching as girlfriends jumped into the arms of their beaux, mothers embraced their sons, and wives proudly displayed the children that hadn't seen their fathers in so long.
Jena's friend had dragged her here with encouraging words, though Jena didn't believe a single one of them. She knew he was gone. She knew Gerard wouldn't walk off that platform.
The memory of the last time she had been at this station swept played in her mind.
***"Gerard fiddled with her hand. 'I'm so sorry. I don't want to go.'
He looked into her eyes, tears swimming through them.
Jena brought her hand up to wipe them away. 'It's okay. I understand that you have to and I'll be right here waiting when you get back.'
He grabbed her hand and looked at the ring on it. He pressed her fingers to his lips as he said, 'I said always, all ways, and I meant it. I'm coming back.'
Jena felt the tears escape from her own eyes. 'Always, all ways. I'll be here waiting. I promise. '
Gerard smirked. 'You sure a pretty girl like you can wait to marry a shmuck like me?'
She grinned. 'Of course I can. You're my shmuck.'
He grinned back, but it quickly disappeared as he heard the whistle He looked into her eyes and said with a heavy heart,. “I have to go.”
“I know,” was all Jena could say. Gerard pressed his lips against hers in a kiss filled with passion and love. Tears slid down both of their faces as Gerard broke away and walked to his unit. He glanced behind him one last time and mouthed ‘I love you.’
Jena opened her mouth to reply but all that came out was a strangled sob. Something inside her told her this would be the last time she would see him. Jena watched Gerard board the train and then left the train station herself.’***
The memory brought more tears to her eyes. She knew he wasn’t going to step off the train. They had written to each other for months, but once the letters stopped coming, she gave up. He wasn’t coming home and she knew it.
Jena looked around and saw her friend walking towards her with her own boyfriend. The longing in her heart grew until she couldn’t take it anymore. She stood up from the bench and walked ahead of her friends, and towards the exit. They would catch up in a moment’s time and the three of them would get in the car and go home to celebrate the return of one of America’s heroes.
She walked towards the door, trying to walk faster without running, the tears running down her face freely.
Just as she touched the handle, she heard it.
“Jena!”
Now my mind’s getting the best of me. She thought wearily, but it came again.
“JENA!”
No…he couldn’t…. She turned around slowly.
There he was. Gerard was standing in the middle of the train station, calling her name.
Jena’s breath caught in her throat, as she stared disbelievingly. But suddenly her feet were moving. She noticed that he was walking towards he too and before she knew it, she had run straight into his arms, sobbing. But this time, she welcomed the tears.
“I-I-I thought you weren’t coming.” She choked out and she tightened her grip around him.
Gerard moved his face away from the crook of her neck. She now saw that he was crying too, but there was relief written in his features. “I said always, all ways and I meant it. I promised I was coming home. I could never break a promise I made to you. I love you.”
And with that, he kissed her fiercely, with more passion and love than the last kiss they had shared.
Jena cried into the kiss and held his face in her hands. She broke away from the kiss to look into the eyes she had missed so much. “I love you too,” was all she could say as Gerard picked her up and cradled her close and together, they walked out of the train station, ready to begin their lives together.
World War II was finally over and all the soldiers were returning home. A long time ago, she looked forward to this day, excited to see her beloved. But she hadn't had a letter from him in so long and no one seemed to have any word of him. She had had a feeling that the day he left would be their last together. She had just hoped she hadn't been right.
But now she sat on a bench at the train station, watching as girlfriends jumped into the arms of their beaux, mothers embraced their sons, and wives proudly displayed the children that hadn't seen their fathers in so long.
Jena's friend had dragged her here with encouraging words, though Jena didn't believe a single one of them. She knew he was gone. She knew Gerard wouldn't walk off that platform.
The memory of the last time she had been at this station swept played in her mind.
***"Gerard fiddled with her hand. 'I'm so sorry. I don't want to go.'
He looked into her eyes, tears swimming through them.
Jena brought her hand up to wipe them away. 'It's okay. I understand that you have to and I'll be right here waiting when you get back.'
He grabbed her hand and looked at the ring on it. He pressed her fingers to his lips as he said, 'I said always, all ways, and I meant it. I'm coming back.'
Jena felt the tears escape from her own eyes. 'Always, all ways. I'll be here waiting. I promise. '
Gerard smirked. 'You sure a pretty girl like you can wait to marry a shmuck like me?'
She grinned. 'Of course I can. You're my shmuck.'
He grinned back, but it quickly disappeared as he heard the whistle He looked into her eyes and said with a heavy heart,. “I have to go.”
“I know,” was all Jena could say. Gerard pressed his lips against hers in a kiss filled with passion and love. Tears slid down both of their faces as Gerard broke away and walked to his unit. He glanced behind him one last time and mouthed ‘I love you.’
Jena opened her mouth to reply but all that came out was a strangled sob. Something inside her told her this would be the last time she would see him. Jena watched Gerard board the train and then left the train station herself.’***
The memory brought more tears to her eyes. She knew he wasn’t going to step off the train. They had written to each other for months, but once the letters stopped coming, she gave up. He wasn’t coming home and she knew it.
Jena looked around and saw her friend walking towards her with her own boyfriend. The longing in her heart grew until she couldn’t take it anymore. She stood up from the bench and walked ahead of her friends, and towards the exit. They would catch up in a moment’s time and the three of them would get in the car and go home to celebrate the return of one of America’s heroes.
She walked towards the door, trying to walk faster without running, the tears running down her face freely.
Just as she touched the handle, she heard it.
“Jena!”
Now my mind’s getting the best of me. She thought wearily, but it came again.
“JENA!”
No…he couldn’t…. She turned around slowly.
There he was. Gerard was standing in the middle of the train station, calling her name.
Jena’s breath caught in her throat, as she stared disbelievingly. But suddenly her feet were moving. She noticed that he was walking towards he too and before she knew it, she had run straight into his arms, sobbing. But this time, she welcomed the tears.
“I-I-I thought you weren’t coming.” She choked out and she tightened her grip around him.
Gerard moved his face away from the crook of her neck. She now saw that he was crying too, but there was relief written in his features. “I said always, all ways and I meant it. I promised I was coming home. I could never break a promise I made to you. I love you.”
And with that, he kissed her fiercely, with more passion and love than the last kiss they had shared.
Jena cried into the kiss and held his face in her hands. She broke away from the kiss to look into the eyes she had missed so much. “I love you too,” was all she could say as Gerard picked her up and cradled her close and together, they walked out of the train station, ready to begin their lives together.