Status: Just starting out...Let's see how this goes
You Got Me Through the War
Their History
He had waited for her. Four long, arduous years on the front lines thinking of returning home to her. He never expected to walk back into her life only to have her completely shut him out. His Charlie had turned her back on him. “How am I ever going to win her back when the very sight of me reduces her to tears,” thought Thomas. His mind swirled with memories from their childhood as he drifted off to sleep. Little did he know that Charlotte was laying awake just a few miles away, thinking similar thoughts.
*4 years earlier*
“Tommy come ride with me. It’s my birthday and I want to spend time with you,” pleaded Charlotte.
“My dear Charlie, I will as soon as I get back from town. I promised mum I would go in today.”
Charlotte pouted and it took every fiber of his being not to cave into her demands. Thomas would do anything for her. She was his best friend and he loved her.
“Oh alright. Go into town. I’ll go riding without you.”
Thomas chuckled at Charlotte’s childish demeanor before replying.
“I’ll meet you at our spot just as soon as I get back. There is something very important I want to tell you plus I need to give you your birthday present.”
With that, Charlotte rode off on her beloved Georgia, a beautiful chestnut mare. Thomas watched her go but it was with a heavy heart. While on his way into town, he fingered the letter that was nearly burning a hole in his pocket. How was he going to tell Charlotte that he had been called up into the military? That he was leaving in just a few days time if he could not persuade the recruiting officer that he was unfit for service. It was not the Thomas was afraid of battle but rather he was afraid of leaving Charlotte alone. She meant the world to him and if something happened to him that would leave her to be alone….well, the very thought chilled him to the core.
After a discouraging talk with the recruiting officer, it appeared that Thomas was to be an infantryman after all. Thomas racked his mind with ways to break the news to his darling Charlie. He reached the stables and was beginning to saddle up his valiant steed Harrison when he began talking aloud.
“Oh Harry. This is the most rotten day of all. How am I going to tell Charlie the news?”
“What news?”
Thomas tripped over a bucket and landed in a pile of hay when Charlotte appeared on the other side of Harrison. Charlotte fed Harrison a small sugar cube and he nuzzled close to her while she laughed. Charlotte then approached Thomas and sat next to him.
“So what do you need to tell me?”
Thomas couldn’t look her in the eye and mumbled something about her ruining her dress by sitting in the hay.
“Tommy. Look at me. What is it that is bothering you?”
Thomas looked at her straight on and just as he opened his mouth to speak, the doors to the barn flew open.
“Thomas, my boy! I’m so proud of you. You joined up in the army. Who would have ever believed it. I sure wouldn’t have except for the fact Reverend Jameson just told me and that man would never lie,” boomed the voice of Thomas’s father.
Charlotte looked at Thomas with eyes full of sadness and confusion. How could he leave her? Why was he doing this to her? Who would ride with her when she needed to be away from her younger siblings?
“Sorry Charlotte. I didn’t see you there my dear.”
“That’s alright Mr. Collier,” said Charlotte as she stood up, adjusting her dress.
“I was just leaving.”
Thomas could hear the emotions in Charlotte’s wavering voice but could not make himself say anything to her. He would never speak to her in a romantic way in front of his father.
*End flashback*
Charlotte awoke and moved her hands to her cheeks. She had been crying. It had been four years since she had found out that Thomas was going into the army and yet the memory of that day still brought fresh tears. At that moment in time, Charlotte wanted nothing more than Thomas curled up beside her telling her that everything was going to be fine. She was supposed to be angry with him. No. She was angry with him…wasn’t she? He had left her to pursue something he always claimed he did not want. How could she still have feelings for him when it had been so long since they were last together?
*4 years earlier*
“Tommy come ride with me. It’s my birthday and I want to spend time with you,” pleaded Charlotte.
“My dear Charlie, I will as soon as I get back from town. I promised mum I would go in today.”
Charlotte pouted and it took every fiber of his being not to cave into her demands. Thomas would do anything for her. She was his best friend and he loved her.
“Oh alright. Go into town. I’ll go riding without you.”
Thomas chuckled at Charlotte’s childish demeanor before replying.
“I’ll meet you at our spot just as soon as I get back. There is something very important I want to tell you plus I need to give you your birthday present.”
With that, Charlotte rode off on her beloved Georgia, a beautiful chestnut mare. Thomas watched her go but it was with a heavy heart. While on his way into town, he fingered the letter that was nearly burning a hole in his pocket. How was he going to tell Charlotte that he had been called up into the military? That he was leaving in just a few days time if he could not persuade the recruiting officer that he was unfit for service. It was not the Thomas was afraid of battle but rather he was afraid of leaving Charlotte alone. She meant the world to him and if something happened to him that would leave her to be alone….well, the very thought chilled him to the core.
After a discouraging talk with the recruiting officer, it appeared that Thomas was to be an infantryman after all. Thomas racked his mind with ways to break the news to his darling Charlie. He reached the stables and was beginning to saddle up his valiant steed Harrison when he began talking aloud.
“Oh Harry. This is the most rotten day of all. How am I going to tell Charlie the news?”
“What news?”
Thomas tripped over a bucket and landed in a pile of hay when Charlotte appeared on the other side of Harrison. Charlotte fed Harrison a small sugar cube and he nuzzled close to her while she laughed. Charlotte then approached Thomas and sat next to him.
“So what do you need to tell me?”
Thomas couldn’t look her in the eye and mumbled something about her ruining her dress by sitting in the hay.
“Tommy. Look at me. What is it that is bothering you?”
Thomas looked at her straight on and just as he opened his mouth to speak, the doors to the barn flew open.
“Thomas, my boy! I’m so proud of you. You joined up in the army. Who would have ever believed it. I sure wouldn’t have except for the fact Reverend Jameson just told me and that man would never lie,” boomed the voice of Thomas’s father.
Charlotte looked at Thomas with eyes full of sadness and confusion. How could he leave her? Why was he doing this to her? Who would ride with her when she needed to be away from her younger siblings?
“Sorry Charlotte. I didn’t see you there my dear.”
“That’s alright Mr. Collier,” said Charlotte as she stood up, adjusting her dress.
“I was just leaving.”
Thomas could hear the emotions in Charlotte’s wavering voice but could not make himself say anything to her. He would never speak to her in a romantic way in front of his father.
*End flashback*
Charlotte awoke and moved her hands to her cheeks. She had been crying. It had been four years since she had found out that Thomas was going into the army and yet the memory of that day still brought fresh tears. At that moment in time, Charlotte wanted nothing more than Thomas curled up beside her telling her that everything was going to be fine. She was supposed to be angry with him. No. She was angry with him…wasn’t she? He had left her to pursue something he always claimed he did not want. How could she still have feelings for him when it had been so long since they were last together?