Break the Sky

"Alex! What happened to you?" Mrs. Gaskarth gaped at her son, who was bandaged up. "Oh my God--"

"I'm fine. The doctors are giving me a month or two for the wounds to heal. It's nothing critical." Alex sighed. "Mother, is father still out working in the factory?" He could only imagine his father trying to lift crates with his back pain.

"Your father doesn't work in the factory like he used to." Mrs. Gaskarth tried to stop hovering around her son. "He helps with designing weapons rather than the lifting. His back has gotten better, though." She blinks. "Aren't you going to visit Rose? She's off from work today, and she and Jack are coming over soon."

Alex shook his head. He was not sure if he could even face Rose at the moment. He was embarrassed by the things he did while he was away. "It would be too sad." He could only imagine her initial reaction to his bandaged arm. "I don't think I can see her. If I died, I'd rather have her remember me from our high school days--"

"Mrs Gaskarth, I made you a cake!" Rose's cheery voice came through the screen door. Alex cringed. Right on time. The door opened. "Because Alex's birthday--" He could not move. He felt frozen. Rose was in shock.

"...Alex?" She looked at his expression. War had made him different. He was not the Alex she knew in June, and now, half a year later, he was someone she did not recognize. His arms were more defined, his face weathered out. His eyes were not as friendly and warm as they used to be. This was the new Alex. The old one was gone forever.

"I'm sorry, Rose, but I think Mrs. Reid and I have something planned out today." Mrs. Gaskarth hurried out the door. "You two be good!"

"Rose..." She touched his cheek, trying her best not to cry. She held back her tears. Alex did nothing. He stood there, not knowing what to do anymore. Should he hold her? Should he say something?

She wrapped her arms around his neck, sobbing into his shirt. Alex hesitantly patted her on the back, failing to remember what to do when Rose cried. He said nothing and stood there, his arms loosely around her waist.

}{

"She's missed you."

"I've missed her, too." Alex and Jack met on Sunday after church. They decided to have brunch at the diner downtown. Rose and her family had left, her father not allowing her to go with the boys. Mr. Clive remembered Alex well and made sure his daughter stayed away from him.

"You have a terrible way of showing her your affection, then." Jack took a sip of coffee. "I heard about your first day back home. I have a feeling you have no feelings left for Rose," Jack stated, staring at his friend.

"It's not that." Alex sighed. "It's been half a year since I last saw her. It's just...well, it's hard for me to get back into the habit of things."

"...Did something happen over there?" Jack squinted. "You're keeping something from all of us, aren't you?" He crossed his arms. "Out with it, Alex. You can't keep secrets forever, buddy boy." Alex winced, realizing Merrick had said the same line when he would not allow his new friends to read his mail.

"It's nothing." Alex stood up, slamming a few dollars on the table. "I have to go." He stomped out of the diner, not knowing what else to do. Alex felt terrible. Instead of going back home, he sauntered to the outskirts of town, to the bridge where he had proposed to Rose. He sighed, remembering how she thought about her father's reactions, his emotions.

"I thought you would be here." Rose was a good three feet away from him. She did not come closer. They were so distant now; they were nothing like how they were months ago. "Would you mind telling me what's going on, Alex? You've been acting very strange lately." She frowned, seeing that he would not face her. Alex kept his eyes on the river which had already frozen over.

Silence. Neither spoke, and they just watched the stream. Rose sighed, realizing she would get nowhere, even though they were miles away from everyone else. As she turned to leave, Alex muttered something under his breath. "...Pardon?" Rose said, turning her head back to him.

"This is hard for me to say..." He took in a deep breath. "And I just want you to know that something happened overseas that you will not be pleased with."

She laughed. It could not be too harmful. Alex was too sweet sometimes. "Oh?"

"...I cheated on you."