We've Proven Our Love Over Time So Strong.

Days turned into weeks, and weeks were soon beginning to start taking a turn towards months. My former class graduated and left that same day to take their leave before their duty stations. I wanted to watch them graduate, but it was during my sleep time, and sleep was beginning to be something of great importance to me. There were some mornings that while I was asleep, someone would come in the room for something stupid. As my friends were slowly leaving, I was upset. I'd accepted my new place in holds, and adjusted to the watch, but was losing friends as they graduated and left. Fall was approaching, and the weather wasn't as hot. Adding to the annoyances of being woken up from the few hours of sleep I did get to have in the morning, I was woken up once to go sit in the admin office with a few of the other dropouts. There were six of us, and we were supposed to go airman, but they canceled the whole thing, and made me lose sleep just to tell us that we were still going to be waiting for orders.

The end of October was coming around, and as a treat to the holds, we were given special liberty on the weekends if we worked hard during the week. I didn't get it the first weekend, which was a long one, and I was pissed off because being a perm-watch, I didn't work most of the day, so they wouldn't see the work I was capable of doing. I managed to get it one weekend and went to Sea World with a friend of mine. It was nice to wear civilian clothes again and to be able to leave base and go somewhere. Like all good things though, it was sadly too short, and it was back to the ugly uniform. I was asleep Monday morning after the watch when I was once again woken up to go sit in the admin office. I was thinking once again that they were going to just inform me that I would be waiting even longer for orders.

“You have orders. First back to Great Lakes to take a few week long course, then follow on orders to Norfolk, Virginia.”

I was lost after hearing the 'you have orders' part. I was finally leaving, but had to go back to the worst place ever for a month. He handed me a copy and I read over them. A check out date that was just two days away, and reporting to Norfolk just after Thanksgiving, right before my twenty-third birthday. Partly upsetting, but I was glad to be finally leaving here. My eyes fell over the line saying I was authorized fifteen days of leave before reporting to Norfolk, and I prayed that I'd get it. I thanked the person and ran back to my room to call Brian and inform him.

“You should be sleeping right now,” he said as he answered his phone.

“Baby! I got orders!” I shouted.

“You did?”

“Yeah. I'm leaving here on Wednesday, flying back to Chicago for about a month, and I get two weeks of leave after that, and then I go to Norfolk for almost two years on shore duty,” I said in a single breath.

“Wow, that's...great?” He asked.

I calmed down a bit from my hyper burst. “I kinda wished they could've sent me to Cali like they did for a few people, but hey, Norfolk is better than Bahrain.”

“It is. Any idea what you'll be doing?”

“No, but hopefully it's nothing terrible.”

“I guess we'll wait and see, right?”

“Yeah.”

“So, when you get to Virginia, do you know where you'll be staying?”

“Barracks of course, but I have no idea how the rules and shit will be there. Why?”

“Well, since you're gonna be out there for a while, I could always try to find an apartment out there.”

I frowned slightly. “I don't want you to have to leave the place you have now though.”

“I don't have to. I have the money, trust me.”

“Well, if you do move out here, I'll help you pay for it then. I don't want you paying for everything.”

“First you have to know if you'd be able to even live off base.”

“Of course.” I laughed. “Hopefully I'd be able to.”

We talked for a bit more before I decided to go back to sleep for a while. I was happy to be leaving soon. At the afternoon muster, I discovered I was taken off the perm-watch, so I'd be able to sleep at night now. I spent the next two days packing and getting ready to leave. Wednesday morning, myself and six others that were also leaving were checking out and soon on our way to the airport to fly to Chicago. After a long day of flying, traveling, and carrying heavy bags around, I was finally settled into my new barracks at Great Lakes Naval Base.

The next month was a living hell for me. Being on a night schedule, having very limited liberty time, and staring at a computer screen was taking it s toll on me. Finally, days after finishing, and a few breakdowns later, I was checking out of the base, heading to the front gate to catch a cab to the airport. I was authorized two weeks of leave, reporting to Norfolk on December 7th. Nicely dressed in my dress blues, I walked out the gate with one of my friends, getting in a cab to go to the airport. My friend, Kenny, who I had been on perm-watch with back in Texas was also flying to California, so we flew together. I kept Brian notified, and sent him a text when I landed. I was excited, because I knew he was somewhere around the airport, either outside, or near the baggage claim. Kenny was the same way with his girlfriend and family doing the same. He ran into his people at the baggage claim, and that's where he and I parted ways. I was still standing there waiting for my duffel bag to come to me, anxiously tapping my foot. I began to get frustrated, because I wanted to see Brian. I wanted to be in his arms and hold him, but my bag wasn't showing up. Finally it did, and I bent over to pull it off the belt. I was about to pick up my bags and head outside to the pick-up zone, but jumped when I felt a pair of hands on my hips.

“Excuse me,” I said, turning around, ready to slap the guy who was touching me, but glad that I stopped myself quick enough. “Brian!” I squealed as I jumped into his arms.

“Hey, beautiful,” he said, kissing my cheek. “Thought I should come in here and surprise you.”

“Thanks, baby.” I still held him tightly as I felt all tension leaving my body. “God I'm so glad I'm done with that place, and I'm so glad I'm home for two weeks. I really need it,” I said as my head rested on his chest.

We parted from our hug and carried my bags to his car. Food was the first thing on my mind, and Brian was already well on his way for it. I didn't want to change, but started to regret it when I had gotten outside. I forgot how warm southern California stayed during the winter months. While on the highway, Brian's phone rang and I listened to him talking to one of his friends I presumed.

“They're on top of things,” Brian laughed after hanging up. “They're meeting us for dinner, want to see you in uniform.”

“It's cool. They can come and see me in all my awesomeness.”

“Their girlfriends are coming too. They're also excited to meet you...” he trailed off for a moment. “Umm...Matt's fiance, she's my ex's twin sister. Just throwing that out there.”

“I know. She sent me a letter while I was in boot camp to thank me. Shocked the hell out of me.”

I grabbed his hand as we continued on in silence, soon pulling off the highway and then shortly made it to PCH where I began to get even more excited seeing home. He pulled into an Applebee's where we could see the group of eight standing outside waiting for us. I was a little nervous to meet the girlfriends, afraid that they wouldn't like me or wouldn't accept me into their group of friends given how they know Brian. I was also nervous to be seen in public in my dress uniform, but it partnered with a sense of pride as I placed the hat on my head before stepping out of the car. Of course I felt out of place, but I expected it. Brian and I joined the group, greeting the guys along with being introduced to their girlfriends. Matt with Valary, Zack with Gena, Johnny with Lacey, and Jimmy with Leana. To my surprise, I hit it off quite well with the girls as we all were seated at a large corner table. Throughout the whole meal, I was answering questions from everyone in the midst of also getting to know them all more. I'd seen the guys here and there before I left, but hadn't had much of a chance to really hang with them, except for Jimmy who seemed to always be at Brian's place when I'd go by. After we finished eating, the eight of them were heading off to the bar.

I looked over at Brian when we got in the car. “If you wanna just bring me to my house, you can, then go hang with them.”

“Babe, I see them all the time, and for as long as you re home now, I am devoted to doing what you wanna do,” he said, smiling at me. “If you wanna go meet up with them at the bar later, then we can. Just tell me where we're going right now.”

“I guess your place. I need to shower and change, and then I think I can go for a drink or two...or twelve.” I paused for a moment before I began rambling. “After the past few months I've had, I need liquor like crazy. The time in holding was okay, but as soon as I got to Great Lakes, everything went to hell.”

“I know, baby. I still remember those tearful phone calls from you,” he said, grabbing my hand. “Every time you called me crying, it tore me up inside to know you were upset.” He touched his lips to the top of my hand.

I sighed, trying to forget the memories and focus now on the fact that I was home for two weeks and never had to go back to Great Lakes. It didn't take long to get to Brian's place, and once there, we brought my bags inside. I proceeded to dig around to find what I needed, I headed for the bathroom to take a shower. Once clean, I hung my uniform neatly on it's hangar and went to find Brian. He was in his kitchen looking through his refrigerator. I was about to sneak up and hung him from behind, but he spoke, startling me.

“You know what I realized, Lis?” he asked, not even turning to me.

“Jesus!” I said in a startled tone. “No, what?”

He finally turned towards me, smiling. “As you soon hit your six month mark of being in the Navy, you and I also have been together for six months.”

I smiled as I wrapped my arms around his waist. “And that would make it my longest continuous relationship so far.”

“Oh?” Brian questioned.

“I'd rather not go more into the ex boyfriend story than I already have,” I said, frowning.

He wrapped his arms around me tightly. “It's okay. He did you wrong and broke your heart. He didn't deserve you if he felt the need to hurt you.”

I rested my head against his chest. “I know. Don't take this the wrong way, but to this day, I still feel like I'm gonna get hurt all over again.”

“I understand why you'd feel that way, and I'd understand if you ever worry when we're on tour, but baby, you don't have to worry about me. I would never do you wrong.”

I sighed. Of course, that's what my ex boyfriend said, before I found out about his fiance that was living halfway across the country that he was soon going home to once he got out of the military. Back when he said he'd always be there for me no matter where he was, before I found out that our entire relationship was a lie and before I found out I had been used for sex after I had given him my virginity.

“I know you don't trust me fully yet,” Brian said to my lack of response. “And I don't expect you to, especially since out of the last six months, we've probably seen each other a total of five weeks. Honestly, if you said you did trust me fully, I'd have to tell you that you were naïve. But I do hope you know that I love you, a lot.”

“I do know that, and I love you too. I also thank you for understanding.”

“Baby, I understand because I just went through the same thing. Trust takes a long time to build.”

“Very true.” I pulled back a bit. “Now, as I've said before, after the past month that I've had, I need alcohol. So let's go get some.”

Brian grinned and reached for his car keys and then we were out the door.