We've Proven Our Love Over Time So Strong.

-Brian's POV-

It was pretty hard being away from Lisa, but I at least had my friends with me to help keep me distracted. She had nobody, surrounded by strangers. Nobody to keep her distracted. I knew she had to be hurting, and that’s what made me feel the worst. We had been in Europe for almost three weeks, I had sent letters every other day, and I was yet to receive a letter or a phone call. I was starting to worry until we arrived at a venue and one of the box office people came to us.

“This came for you,” he said, handing me an envelope. “Not sure how or why but…”

“Long story. Thanks.” I took it and went back inside the bus. It was a letter from Lisa. I smiled as I read it. There were two letters. One from her while she was at the hotel, and the second one which was dated the past Sunday.

(#2 June 8th) Dear Brian,

It’s our first relax time. We call it “holiday routine.” We get six hours on a Sunday to ourselves. Where we can relax, actually take a real shower, write letters and stuff. It’s been a rough few weeks. The first week was all processing and medical stuff. I haven’t been stabbed with this many needles and violated like I had been ever. I’ve been poked, prodded, and all that stuff all last week. Once all that settled, we moved from one barracks to another on the other side of the base. This place is our home for the next month and a half. If nothing goes wrong with me, our graduation date is July 18th. I’ll send all the information to my mom, and tell her that you’re probably coming. Just let me know when you’re flying in if you are. I’ll tell her and we’ll get it settled so you can be there.

This past week was getting more into military training. Our uniforms are ugly, our beds are an inch thin mattress thingy with two sheets, an itchy wool blanket, and one pillow. Surprisingly, I’m able to sleep pretty well. It was hard to eat for a while because I was so upset and depressed, but I’m getting more adjusted. I’m not really talking to anyone, because some of these girls are annoying and whiny. And I have to shower with them. They tell us all to get naked and cram into this one little room with ten shower heads, about twenty-five of us at a time. It’s…ugh…it’s shitty. Pretty soon we get to start doing interesting stuff. We have line handling, which we practice putting a ship underway, and bringing it back in. Then shortly after that is the thing I can’t wait for. Weapons training. We’ll get to fire actual guns, and I can’t wait to do it. This here is my address on the envelope, so send letters to that one, and write it like that exactly or letters will get lost. I’ve gotten all your letters, and as to what they’re dated, and when they arrive, it does take about a week. So I hope this gets to you.

I miss you a lot. I’ve cried every night because I miss you so much, and I can’t wait for the day I can jump into your arms again. Keep me posted on what’s happening in the outside world. I love you.

Love, Lisa

“Letter from Lisa?” Matt asked, walking in the back lounge, leaning against the door frame.

“Yeah.” I looked up at him. “Her graduation date is July eighteenth...and I'd love to go see her graduate.”

“You can. Fly back the seventeenth.”

“You sure?”

“Dude, we knew this was going to happen, we'll find someone to fill in, even if it's Papa Gates or Zacky's brother or whoever.”

“For real?”

“Brian, this is important to you. You need to see her.”

“Thanks.”

“She‘ll be happy to have you there to see her.”

“Yeah.”

He walked away and I wrote another letter to her. Since I had been writing so many letters, they weren’t very long, but I know it made her happy to hear from me. After I wrote the letter, I dropped it in the mailbox, then went to help unload our equipment. Another day, another show, another distraction from the pain and emptiness I felt as she was away.

Of course it was natural playing our songs and playing a live show, but even while playing, I’d think about her, and it would hurt. A few songs would remind me of her, so they were very hard to play. I knew that shortly soon though I’d be able to hold her again. It was weird for me to be able to hide it so well. Hanging out after the show, drinking, meeting fans, I was able to stay normal. To not act like something was bothering me. After we packed up our buses, we were on the road to the next venue. I went to the back to just have some alone time while everyone else went to bed, but I was soon interrupted by Jimmy and Valary.

“I’m fine, guys,” I said before they could even say anything.

“We know, but we still wanted to talk, and see if you wanted to vent or anything,” Jimmy said.

“You went through a lot these past two months, and I wanted to make sure you were doing fine,” Val said. “I don't know much about her, but I know you're hurting.”

“I’m fine. I just miss her that’s all. I’m not used to having someone that can’t be on tour with us.”

“I understand, but it will fall into place soon enough.”

“I know it will. I know everything will be fine. I’ll get used to the separation. I know I will have no choice but to get used to it. She won’t be able to come on tour with us, and if she is stationed on a ship and goes on deployment, I can’t exactly go with her on that. So there’s no choice but to get used to it.”

“I’m sorry, Brian, you know I am.”

“It’s fine though. I love her a lot. I haven’t been this happy in a while…” I cut myself off from finishing my statement because I didn’t want to say anything bad about her sister. I knew for a fact though that I was happier with Lisa than I ever was with Michelle. Valary smiled too, but I knew what she was thinking. Thinking the same thought that I was. I knew I needed to be careful about what I said around Val. Of course I had no problem telling myself that I was happier, but I felt bad saying it around my ex's sister.

“Michelle told me to tell you that she's sorry.”

“I'm sure she is, but I just can't go back to her.”

“I know. She's not expecting it, but she just wants you to know that she regrets what happened.” Valary and myself watched Jimmy walk out of the lounge. “She'd love to be able to at least talk again.”

“I'll think about it,” I said flatly, knowing that I'd have to at least try to be civil. I couldn't flat out blow her off because I knew I wouldn't get away from her. “I just don't wanna talk about it right now.”

“I'm sorry. So, your new girlfriend, what's her name?”

“Lisa.”

“She makes you happy, I noticed that.”

“Yeah. I never expected it to happen this way, but it did. She makes me feel this happiness I haven't felt in a while-” I cut myself off, but not at the right time. Cursing to myself in my head, I tried to think of something to say, but I couldn't before Valary spoke.

“I know you think that because Michelle is my sister that I'm gonna go run to her and say all this. I won't, because we're all adults here. I know she hurt you, and it hurt me too finding out what happened. I obviously can't promise that you'll never see Michelle again, but can you promise me that you can at least be civil?”

“I can do that. I don't have much of a choice, but I also can't create more tension than it'll already probably cause, especially if Lisa is around when this ever does happen.”

“So how is Lisa? I never got to meet her before we left.”

“She's a great person.” I subtly waved the letters that were in my hand. “Boot camp is being a little rough on her, but who wouldn't it be rough on? She graduates July eighteenth, so I'm gonna fly back to the states for a couple days to see her.”

Val and I finished our little conversation and headed off to bed. Now that I had a date to look forward to, I could count the days, and I was already down to thirty-three. Thirty-three days and I could hold her closely again, even if it's for just a few days.