Never Coming Home

"You're wearing that?" Lily asked, walking into the bedroom that she shared with Marie.

Marie looked in the mirror and frowned. "What's wrong with this?" She didn't think that the black dress with off-white lace was inappropriate.

"You're seeing your boyfriend for the first time in six months, and you're just wearing that? Don't you want to dress up for him?"

Marie blushed at the word boyfriend. "He isn't my boyfriend. What? Do you want me to dress like a Pin Up girl? I'm not changing. Get over it, Lily."

"Fine, alright. Can we just go? We're going to be late."



"I'm so happy my boys are coming home," Donna, Mikey and Gerard's mother, said, in a relieved tone. She had been so worried about her boys at boot camp. She knew that they could handle it, though.

"I am, too, Mrs. Way."

The train still had not stopped, but it was already crowded with people waiting. Lily had left Marie, going to talk to some of her old high school friends that had husbands or boyfriends that were returning home.

Marie opened her purse and clutched the piece of paper in her hands.

"What's that, dear?" Mrs. Way asked, looking at the paper.

Marie smiled. "A letter from Mikey. Would you like to read it? It's the sweetest thing ever."



Dear Marie,

I'm so glad you understand that I can't write long letters. I feel really bad, I wish I could write you pages and pages about what's going on. I guess that'll just be more for me to tell you when I come home, right? Only three hundred and twenty-seven days until I come home! Isn't that great? I've been counting.

Yes, Frank did mention something about the wedding again today, but I was reading your letter and not paying much attention to him. I am so glad that wedding isn't happening, honestly. Frank's children will be hideous, even though you're beautiful.

I'm sorry about Bryan. No, I don't particularly remember him, but I brought it up with Gerard and he said he knows him. Well, knew, I suppose. I know you're worried, darling. I'm worried, too. Not only for myself and my friends, but for you. You're stressing yourself over us, and you shouldn't. You're right, I would say that. Don't worry, I have Gerard to save me if I mess up. Ray enlisted? I didn't know that. I know that Bob enlisted. I saw him a few times around boot camp.

I don't have a lot of time now. Damn. Lights out in five minutes. Let's see how much I can write.

Well, Marie, knowing you, you've been a nervous wreck waiting for this part of the letter, haven't you? Well, I want you to know that the feeling is mutual. I love you, too. And, I'm not mad that you haven't told me or that you've told me under these circumstances, either. I'm just glad you told me because if you didn't, I would never have. I'm a coward, I know.

With love,

Mikey.



"Awe, my little Mikey is such a sweetheart," said Donna. She handed Marie the letter, and she read it once more. She had the letter practically memorized. She read it at least three times a day.

Soon after that, the train pulled in, and one by one, future soldiers walked off the train. Lily had found her way back over to Marie and Donna.

"Nervous?" Lily asked Marie. She simply nodded in reply, waiting to see her boys walk off of the train. Linda, Frank's mother, had spotted the three women and made her way over to them.

Donna and Linda talked, and Lily joined in their conversation, but Marie stood, on her tip-toes, trying to locate her friends. Soon enough, she spotted Frank, and rushed over to him, and bounced into his arms.

"Frankie! You made it home in one piece!" she said, happily.

Frank held her tightly around the middle and laughed. "What? Did you expect me not to?"

"Of course not," she replied, giggling a bit. "Where's Gerard and Mikey?"

"They're coming. We had to sit in alphabetical order, to make sure everyone was on the train. They had to sit towards the end of the train." Frank let go of Marie so she could lead him back to his mother, Donna and Lily.

Frank explained why Gerard and Mikey wasn't there yet, causing a sad look on Donna's face. Her face lit back up in a matter of seconds because she realized that her boys were back home.

Lily nudged Marie a few minutes later. "Hey, isn't that Gerard?" she asked, pointing to a confused looking boy.

"Yes!" Marie squeaked, before giving him a similar welcoming to Frank's.

"Well, hello to you, too, Marie!" Gerard exclaimed, picking the petite girl off the ground.

"Oh my, Gerard, I've missed you so so so much!" she stated, hugging him tighter.

"I've missed you so so so so much, Marie," he replied, chuckling. He let go of her and walked over to his mother. He gave her a tight hug and kissed her cheek.

"Hey, where's Mikey at?" Marie asked, noticing that he wasn't around.

Gerard looked around and didn't find his brother. He shrugged. "He was right behind me..."

"Boo!"

Marie jumped as a pair of arms wrapped around her waist.

"Mikey, you scared me!" she exclaimed, twirling around to face him. He just grinned at her.

"Sorry," he said, before laughing. "I wish I could have seen the look on your face."

"It was great!" Frank piped up, before grinning.

Marie just smiled and hugged Mikey tightly. Her returned the hug and smile, and wished that this moment would never end.

"I really am sorry," he whispered, though she almost didn't hear him because it was so loud in the train station.

"It's fine. Don't even worry about it. I'm just glad you're home."



"What do you want to do today? I'm all yours. All day," Mikey said, holding Marie's hand, tightly. She looked down at their hands and smiled.

"All day? We could do so much," she said, contently. "Let's go to the park."

He chuckled, before fixing his glasses and walking down the sidewalk, towards the park. "I really missed this, you know. I really missed you."

"I know. I missed you, too. I think I told you that in every letter," she replied, before giggly.

"You did, and so did I."

She smiled. Or rather, she hasn't stopped smiling since this morning. She was so relieved, so happy.

Once they made it to the park, they sat down on the very familiar park bench. The trees were turning yellow and the grass was dying, but in their eyes, it was beautiful just the same, simply because they were together.

"You know, Marie, I've been thinking a lot lately..." Mikey said, staring off into space.

"Oh, boy. Should I be scared?" she asked, in a teasing tone.

"No, of course not. Well, maybe." Marie looked at him. She was obviously confused.

"What is it?"

"Um, well. I've been thinking. I mean, we've known each other our whole lives.. Well, your whole life. I'm older than you. But, uh. We both love each other, right? So, I was thinking... Maybe, when the war is over, we could get married?"

Marie was stunned. She didn't answer, she couldn't even form the words. She simply nodded.

Mikey smiled sweetly at her. "I'm sorry I don't have a ring or anything. I'm going to get you one, though. Before I leave. I promise."

She simply smiled and leaned over and pressed her lips against his.