The Soldier Next Door

They say that sometimes you do not realize the value of a moment until it becomes a memory. The day I look back at this moment, I will remember the day that my family made a sacrifice and followed me so that I can follow my dreams. To say that I am not humbled would be a lie. I have never experienced so much joy in my life as what I have experienced on this single day. The best memory by far shall be when this boy became a real man.

So it seems like the Hunters are moving to California. Well, not all of them are definitely sure. Matt seems to have some doubts about making this move with the rest of us. What I do find hard to understand is what is keeping him here. The future here in this town holds nothing for him.

Seeing the confusion on his face as he struggles through this decision does pain me a bit. In a way, I do feel that I am a slight bit selfish. I am asking a man to pack up a life he feels comfortable with. I will not push him even further; this is a decision he should make without feeling the pressure from me.

“Hey man, don’t sweat it. I know that you need some time to think.”

“That is not the problem, bro. The things I am scared.”

“Scared of what?”

“It is easy to make it in this town; there are not a lot of people that I need to impress. Out there, it is a different ball game.”

“Matty, the only one you need to impress is yourself.”

“Did you just hear what you said? There is one person I need to impress; then it is dad.”

“You should really not listen to everything he says. Sometimes I wonder if he pushes us so hard is to make up for his failures.”

Matt goes quiet for a few seconds as he thinks about what I have just said. In a way, it is true; my father has had many failed businesses. He always sets out with this brilliant idea, only for them to fail. I know that my mom’s patience has worn thin with him; in return, he has been pushing us beyond what is reasonable. That is why I was so shocked that he even suggested this move. In a way, he will not approve if Matt decides to stay here.

Even though this is my father’s decision, and should this not work for him and my mom, I will still be the one that will be blamed here. But I am beyond the point of really caring about whether he approves of the things that I do. In nine months, I shall become a father; my focus is on Ana and our baby.

But I am also concerned about Matt and what happens to him. He has never been out in the big world if I can call it that. I know he has it in him to succeed; he just does not believe in himself.

“Hey Matty, I am here for you, no matter what you decide.”

“Bro, I think I am going to stay here. Please don’t take it wrong. I understand that you need to do it for yourself, but for me, I am comfortable here.”

“I understand, Matty.”

With that said and done, I pull him into a brotherly hug. I know this is hard for him. What is going to be even harder is tomorrow when we are leaving. I am sure the tears that are burning now will definitely flow tomorrow.

…Ana POV…

While Ethan is outside having their heart to heart, I am sitting with Katarina in the kitchen. Now she has been burning to ask me a question for the past five minutes. While I am making us a pot of coffee, she is trying to build the courage to say what she wants to say. Now I do not know her as someone that feels nervous, so her hesitation right now is somewhat unnerving.

“Get out with it! You are making me worried.”

“The thing is, things between Matt and me are really going well, you know at the moment, my business is only starting off, and I have not yet settled into it.

“Yes, I know; I still do not understand why you want to work. You have your trust fund that is enough for you to live from.”

“That is exactly what I thought, so I wanted to ask you if I can still stay on here in your place. I am not going to Pendleton. I want to see if this thing with Matt is going to work.”

“Katarina, you know his reputation around here? Matt is not a man that easily settles down.”

“I know, if things do not work out, then that is fine. I really like this little town.”

“As I told you last time, you are more than welcome to stay here.”

Now, this is something that I did not see coming. Katarina is known to be just as big of a player than what Matt is. I can understand why they feel that they both want to try and see if something between them will work out. I am truly happy if she wants to find the right man for her in Matt. I just hope they don’t end up hurting each other.

By now, I think Ethan has heard the same news from Matt. I know that Ethan is going to be very heartbroken. He is extremely close to his brother. But he is a reasonable man, and he shall understand why he does not want to follow him across the country.

At this stage, the only thing I am concerned about is Ethan and our baby. I am already going to be on my own when he leaves to deploy; I do not need to be caught up in other people’s situations.

…Ethan POV…This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.

After we both needed to say what needed saying, Matt and I make our way to where the girls are sitting in the kitchen. I can see Ana has been crying, I don’t know what they have spoken about, but it really has upset her.

“Boo, are you okay?”

“Yes, soldier, these are happy tears.”

“Guess you heard the news as well.

“Yes, Katarina is staying

“And so is Matt.”

Wait a minute here; I don’t think I got the whole story. I am officially the dumbest man alive. How did I not see this coming?

“You damn dog, you were holding out on me. Have things gotten so serious?”

“Hey, you did not ask.”

“I did ask.”

“You just did not ask the right questions.”

“I forgot you not good at this girl thing.”

“Well, neither were you and look what you got now.”

I turn to look at Ana. I am just blown away to see how beautiful and radiant her face is. Those deep brown eyes are piercing straight through my soul and are filling my heart. Now more than ever, I know what I need to do.

“Boo, you want to go for a walk?”

“Of course, soldier, after all of this, I do need a bit of fresh air.”

Slowly, we make our way into the cool of the night. We find the path that leads even further up the mountain. The bright moonlight is casting shadows over the trees as we walk underneath them. The fragrance of hundreds of spring flowers fills the air. It is a perfect night tonight.

I find us a nearby rock to sit on. As I stand in front of this magnificent woman that I love more than life itself, I stare up into the skies above. The beauty of the millions of bright stars settle my racing heart, and I know this is the perfect moment.

I grasp her hand, lacing our fingers in a way that makes my heart beat faster. I move a strand of her hair from her face and tuck it behind her ear.

My left thumb runs along the smooth curve of her throat as I close the gap between us. I drop my free hand to her back and catch her around her waist. My hand runs upward along her back until my fingers curl themselves in the hair at the back of her neck.

With a slight pull of her hair, I bend her head backward, giving me easy access to her lips. My warm breath lingers just for a second; I feel that I cannot breathe, I cannot move, my entire body stiffening.

I lower my lips onto hers, in an instant, we melt into each other. Then I kiss her; I kiss her with purpose like my lips have a plan. I possess her; I own her. I look into her magnificent eyes; the swirls of emotion I see there makes me gasp. I never knew a kiss so innocent could be so intimate. I feel like I am walking on air. The way her lips connect with mine. Her mouth is so warm, the caress of his lips so soft. She makes me breathless. I kiss her with everything inside me; it is raw, filled with desire, fear, yearning, and a touch of desperation.

After what feels like a better half of ten minutes, I pull away slowly from the intimate moment that is still raging through my veins.

“Boo, I want to ask you something.”