Anything at All

The sun was beginning to set and the birds were returning to their nests. The sky was a dessert of fruit—mellow reds mixing with short tangs of orange. The clouds were like sprinkles except only puffier and less jubilant.

Kayleigh was sitting upright on the bench of her front porch, staring into the overview ahead. The house was rather passé, but that’s what made it more comforting. The paint was wearing off so that you could see strips of wood smiling from underneath.

She was there waiting for her husband to finish eating dinner and join her to adore the setting sun. She had obscuring news to share that she was afraid he would dread to hear.

Little did Kayleigh know he too had news to impart that he wasn’t sure how she would react to. It was clinging onto his heart and making him feel more nervous than he should have been. Most days he regretted ever making this decision, but it was too late to turn back.

It was a nauseas feeling he experienced while eating that evening. He was picking at his food, only consuming like a pigeon. He only wished he could relish the last time he would eat her cooking for he will depart for whom knows how long…

Kayleigh abruptly turned her head to the opening of the front door. Her husband was welcomed with a warm breeze that in which the climate they lived in often brought. It shook off the chills he had from all of the overwhelming emotions he felt.

“Did you enjoy dinner?” Kayleigh asked looking over his curving posture as he plopped down on the bench beside her. “It didn’t seem like you were…”

His eyelids blinked a few times before a disdaining smile grew on his lips. “I enjoyed it very much, of course. I always love your cooking… It’s just this thing on my mind that is bothering me.”

“—me too.”

The air went silent and both of them stared at each other faintly astonished.

A bird chirped in the distance as if implying it was getting late and it was time for news to be revealed.

“So,” Kayleigh sighed. “I guess I go first then?”

Her husband hesitated before reaching for her hands and engulfing them with his large ones. “Only if you want to, then you may share first.”

Her azure eyes stared briefly into his reassuringly before averting her gaze again to the sky that had now darkened in color. A streetlight just beyond their road flickered on and moths began to swarm.

“Well, Chris, I have been asked to board a plane to America in just a few days to interview bands. The organization said that I might be gone for months and… possibly a year. They informed me that I may be traveling a lot and that you might not find that pleasing… So, I wanted to tell you.” Kayleigh closed her eyes and sighed in melancholy. “What do you think?”

Chris only scoffed a little bit, but a sweet smirk grew on his face and a chuckle escape his lips. “I travel around with my band, Kay; I’m used to moving and packing constantly. Usually I don’t even get a chance to settle in a hotel…” his voice trailed off to the moment he feared to happen.

Kayleigh took notice of how his hand twitched when his held hers and the way his back somewhat straightened. She knew there was bad news coming, however she didn’t know if her heart could bare so much.

Chris suddenly laughed softly and took his hands away from hers. His legs went erect as he stood up and his arms went akimbo behind his head as his hands played with his dark hair.

“This is so hard for me to say…”

The suspense in Kayleigh was killing her and although she was very curious and anxious, she said aloud, “Then don’t tell me.”

Chris made a deep growl in his throat. “I can’t not tell you; I wish I didn’t have to say a thing at all, but I have to.” His eyes squeezed shut and his mouth opened slowly.

“My band and I… joined the army.”

He joined the army? Kayleigh thought when all breathe escaped her. At first she was sure it was a joke, but all of his body motions told the truth. This wasn’t a fallacy.

We have been through so much but we have overcome those situations with our strength. We may falter for a time, but we climb over it like a high fence. If we keep facing holes in the fence, we soon grow accustom to them and move around. Soon enough we reach the top of the fence and climb over. Every problem fits in with the obstacle course we partake in. But now, I feel no strength and Chris probably doesn’t either…

Kayleigh was dazed. Chris was hazed. They were both shrinking away like a flower closing for winter.

Every bird’s chirp made the couple flinch until finally Chris took grasp of his senses and turned towards Kayleigh. “Are you mad at me?”

“Mad at you?” she scoffed. “Of course I am!”

She shook her head.

“But that doesn’t mean I don’t love you. I still love you… It’s just… why did you have to do this to me?”

Chris sauntered over to the bench and sat very close to her. His fingers picked out a lock of her hair and he kissed it staring off behind her.

“Kayleigh, I don’t want you to hate me forever because of this, but I understand if you will. I know I will come back and with the rest of my mates…

“God dammit, Rou! Get back here!”

“Will you now?” she asked.

“Hello!—can anyone here me?! We just got a man down! My best friend!” a voice shrieked.

“Yes, and only for you.”

“I’m walking home, general! I can’t take this anymore!”

“Then I’ll wait for you…”