Don't Hold This War Inside
Simpler Times
The cool wind of a Texas evening blew around them as they lay in the lush green grass. The glow of lights coming from the house shown in the distance. Caroline blinked and smiled as the smell of lilies hit her.
"Why are you so happy?" a voice next to her asked.
She turned her head and smiled at the man next next to her. "Cause I'm here with you. What could be better than that?"
The man laughed and kissed her softly before lacing his hand in hers. "You certainly are certainly somethin' else, Caroline."
"And you're so different?" Caroline asked, an easy laugh escaping her mouth.
He laughed and pulled her close to him, running his hands through her hair. "Not really. None of us are."
The two were quiet for a few moments, basking in the comfortable silence between them. Caroline looked up at Jasper and saw that he was staring up at the clear Texas sky, stars littered all across it.
"Jasper, can I ask you somethin'?" Caroline asked.
He looked at her and kissed her forehead. "Of course."
Caroline sighed and tugged at her lip. "What's gonna happen to us?"
It was a simple question with a complex answer, one Jasper himself couldn't answer. The South was in a state of disaster, what with war blasting at them all left and right.
There was no way he and Caroline could be together forever. He was bound to have to leave sometime. But there was no way either of them wanted to believe it.
"I don't wanna think about that." Jasper replied solemnly.
"Well, you have to! we are bound to be separated at some point and we can't just go on as if...as if it won't happen!" Caroline said, standing up. She looked at her home in the distance. "I need to leave now."
She turned and began walking toward her estate, but not before Jasper stopped her. He gently grabbed her wrist and she spun around to face him.
"I'll tell you what's gonna happen to us. I'm gonna marry you and we'll have kids and we'll raise and family and we'll grow old together. And I'm gonna be in love with you every second of it. That's what's gonna happen to us." he said passionately.
Caroline felt tears boil in her eyes and she tried to swallow them but couldn't. Before she knew what was happening, he felt herself pulling Jasper to her and she kissed him like he would be gone in a second.
They broke apart a few moments later and Jasper pressed his forehead to hers. "I'm never gonna stop lovin' you, Caroline."
"Promise?"
"I promise."
The two stayed wrapped up in one another until Caroline felt she had to go back home. It took a lot out of her to leave the man she loved. It felt this way every night.
When she got back home her mother was waiting for her in the parlor. "Caroline, where have you been? I have told you one and I'll tell you once more. That Jasper Whitlock is a horrible influence on you!"
Her mother, Mary Anne, didn't much approve of Caroline and Jasper's relationship, and voiced her opinions on it whenever she wanted. Caroline sighed.
"Mother, I do believe that now is not the time to speak about this. Perhaps tomorrow when I am...not so tired." she replied before walking past her mother and up the grand staircase to her room.
Caroline woke up the next morning to sunlight shining in her eyes. She moved to turn on her other side, to shield her eyes, but a voice stopped her.
"Oh, miss Caroline, you simply can't go back to sleep! Not when there's good news to be heard!" Caroline's maid, Anna, said excitedly.
Caroline sat up groggily. "What are you talking about?" she asked.
Anna froze for a moment and stared at Caroline. "Why, Caroline, Jasper Whitlock has requested your hand in marriage!"
Caroline almost couldn't comprehend it. Then, minutes later, the words sunk in and she felt a tingling sensation go all through her body, and before she could process it all, she leaped from the bed and ran to go get dressed.
The next few minutes passed in a blur as she hurried down to the parlor where Jasper was waiting patiently. A smile lit up his face when he saw her and she ran at him, wrapping her arms around him as he picked her up.
"Yes, Jasper Whitlock! My answer is yes!" she exclaimed as he spun her around joyfully.
When he let her go, he held her hands softly. "We'll get married this Saturday, right here. Why wait?" he asked.
Caroline couldn't help but smile and laugh again. "Oh, of course! Yes! We'll get started planning right away!"
That night, Caroline lay in her bed smiling and giggling to herself. Her dream of marrying the man she loved was coming true. She loved her life and wouldn't trade it for a thing. But little did she know, the sun would not shine forever.
"Why are you so happy?" a voice next to her asked.
She turned her head and smiled at the man next next to her. "Cause I'm here with you. What could be better than that?"
The man laughed and kissed her softly before lacing his hand in hers. "You certainly are certainly somethin' else, Caroline."
"And you're so different?" Caroline asked, an easy laugh escaping her mouth.
He laughed and pulled her close to him, running his hands through her hair. "Not really. None of us are."
The two were quiet for a few moments, basking in the comfortable silence between them. Caroline looked up at Jasper and saw that he was staring up at the clear Texas sky, stars littered all across it.
"Jasper, can I ask you somethin'?" Caroline asked.
He looked at her and kissed her forehead. "Of course."
Caroline sighed and tugged at her lip. "What's gonna happen to us?"
It was a simple question with a complex answer, one Jasper himself couldn't answer. The South was in a state of disaster, what with war blasting at them all left and right.
There was no way he and Caroline could be together forever. He was bound to have to leave sometime. But there was no way either of them wanted to believe it.
"I don't wanna think about that." Jasper replied solemnly.
"Well, you have to! we are bound to be separated at some point and we can't just go on as if...as if it won't happen!" Caroline said, standing up. She looked at her home in the distance. "I need to leave now."
She turned and began walking toward her estate, but not before Jasper stopped her. He gently grabbed her wrist and she spun around to face him.
"I'll tell you what's gonna happen to us. I'm gonna marry you and we'll have kids and we'll raise and family and we'll grow old together. And I'm gonna be in love with you every second of it. That's what's gonna happen to us." he said passionately.
Caroline felt tears boil in her eyes and she tried to swallow them but couldn't. Before she knew what was happening, he felt herself pulling Jasper to her and she kissed him like he would be gone in a second.
They broke apart a few moments later and Jasper pressed his forehead to hers. "I'm never gonna stop lovin' you, Caroline."
"Promise?"
"I promise."
The two stayed wrapped up in one another until Caroline felt she had to go back home. It took a lot out of her to leave the man she loved. It felt this way every night.
When she got back home her mother was waiting for her in the parlor. "Caroline, where have you been? I have told you one and I'll tell you once more. That Jasper Whitlock is a horrible influence on you!"
Her mother, Mary Anne, didn't much approve of Caroline and Jasper's relationship, and voiced her opinions on it whenever she wanted. Caroline sighed.
"Mother, I do believe that now is not the time to speak about this. Perhaps tomorrow when I am...not so tired." she replied before walking past her mother and up the grand staircase to her room.
Caroline woke up the next morning to sunlight shining in her eyes. She moved to turn on her other side, to shield her eyes, but a voice stopped her.
"Oh, miss Caroline, you simply can't go back to sleep! Not when there's good news to be heard!" Caroline's maid, Anna, said excitedly.
Caroline sat up groggily. "What are you talking about?" she asked.
Anna froze for a moment and stared at Caroline. "Why, Caroline, Jasper Whitlock has requested your hand in marriage!"
Caroline almost couldn't comprehend it. Then, minutes later, the words sunk in and she felt a tingling sensation go all through her body, and before she could process it all, she leaped from the bed and ran to go get dressed.
The next few minutes passed in a blur as she hurried down to the parlor where Jasper was waiting patiently. A smile lit up his face when he saw her and she ran at him, wrapping her arms around him as he picked her up.
"Yes, Jasper Whitlock! My answer is yes!" she exclaimed as he spun her around joyfully.
When he let her go, he held her hands softly. "We'll get married this Saturday, right here. Why wait?" he asked.
Caroline couldn't help but smile and laugh again. "Oh, of course! Yes! We'll get started planning right away!"
That night, Caroline lay in her bed smiling and giggling to herself. Her dream of marrying the man she loved was coming true. She loved her life and wouldn't trade it for a thing. But little did she know, the sun would not shine forever.