- Text Size +
Brian lay on his small cot trying desperately to go to sleep, but all he could think about was Leigh Anne. A sad smile slide across his face as he recalled their last night together.

Brian planned the perfect evening for him and Leigh Anne. HE would take her to their favorite restaurant, make sure she ordered her favorite dessert, and expressed his love for his beautiful wife. When Brian seen his wife walk down the stair-case of their home he was sure he had just stepped into a movie. She was perfect. Everything about her exuded love. She wore a cream colored dress that was pleated and hit right about the knee. Her hair was wisped up into and messy but classy bun, with earrings to perfectly compliment her long, tanned neck.

“Oh my God, baby you get more and more beautiful every day.” He said as he pulled his wife into his arms.

Blushing slightly but loving the attention she passionately kissed her husband. “You don’t look half bad yourself.”

Inside Leigh Anne felt like at any moment she was going to break down and cry. It took everything she had not to run back upstairs and jump into bed hoping to wake up in the morning and this would have all been a dream. She knew that wasn’t likely to happen. So she put on a brave front and tried her best to make the last night with her husband a memorable one.

“Stand back so I can look at you for a moment.” Brian said as he held Leigh Anne’s hand out as she did a little twirl for him.

She giggled like a girl in love as her husband lusted after his wife. He had half a mind to go back upstairs and forget the entire night that he planned. Ultimately though, he knew that he had to make this night more about sex. He had to make it about them and their wonderful life that they had made together.

“So where are we going?” She asked

“Quinones.” He replied pleased that he knew she would be excited.
“Really? Oh baby….thanks so much. We didn’t have to go somewhere that nice. I mean it is kind of our special place.” Quinine’s is the place where Brian had proposed more than 12 years ago. He knew that he had to make this night absolutely magical, just like the first time they had been there.

“Yea, I did,” he began, “I want this night to be a night you will never forget. I mean baby, I know it isn’t something that we want to think about, but this might be the last time that we are together….ever.” he finished as her swallowed the lump that had somehow appeared in his throat.

At the mention of the fact that he may die over there, Leigh Anne’s face went totally white. Brian thought she may even pass out. Tears begin to rise in her eyes as she thought about Brian never coming back to her.

Brian pulled her into him for a hug. He desperately wanted to tell him that everything would be fine, but would it?

Brian wiped the tears off of his eyes as he looked back that the day had just taken place a few days ago. Now here he lay all alone in a war torn country, with no one but two friends to help him get through this. He sat up on his cot and looked at his two friends who looked to be sleeping. He slid his shoes on and walked out of the berthing.

Once again he was hit with a blast of hot wind. He slowly took a breath in, trying to allow his lungs to adjust to the heat. Looking up at the sky he couldn’t help but stare in awe at what he seen. The stars had never looked so bright. It literally looked like little fireflies covering the sky. Each one shown so brightly, that you would have never known that they were the same stars he looked at back in Atlanta.

Without all of the pollutants that are in the United States the stars in the Middle East really light up the sky. It really is one of the most breath taking sites you will ever see. Brian was finding that out. He glanced over at the moon and smirked as he noticed that it was a full moon. The funny thing about the full moon though, is it had an awkward circle around it. Brian had never seen it before.

“It’s called a farmers moon.” A voice said next to Brian.

He looked to his side and noticed that a girl had walked up next to him. “Really?” he asked “Why do they call it that?”

“Well, they say that the circle around the moon is a sign to famers that it will rain tomorrow. They say that the moisture in the air makes the circle.” She answered matter of factly.

“Huh….that is something. It is kind of cool. Why don’t I ever see those back home?”

“Well I don’t know about you, but where I live we don’t exactly have the cleanest air, hell there is so much smog in L.A. that I am shocked we can still breathe there.”

“So you are from L.A.?”

“No, I am from Montana, but I joined the Army a few years back and I am stationed at a small base outside of LA.”

“I lived in LA for a while but I couldn’t handle it, so I moved to Atlanta….. I am Brian, by the way.”

“I am Audrey, and I know who you are. I checked you in the other day in the hanger.”

“Oh yea…the corporal that my boy AJ was all rawled up about.” Brian said laughing a little.


“What? He was talking about me?” she asked blushing a little.

“Yea, he was talking about how cute you were. I honestly didn’t notice….sorry.” he said honestly.

“Oh, I wouldn’t notice me either. I am sure there were plenty more important things to be thinking about than paying any attention to me.”

“Yea, I guess you are right.”

“I know I am right. I mean you are married, right?” she looked at Brian for conformation. He nodded his head to confirm.

“Well then I could only imagine the fear that you have. I bet your wife is at home right now praying that you are ok. I beat she is worried to death. I beat you miss her already, huh?”

“Yea, I do.”

Audrey didn’t want to come across as the creepy fan, even though when she was younger she was quite the Backstreet fanatic. So instead of continuing to push Brian for answers she simply said, “Well, I am sure she misses you too. It is hard out here, trust me, I know. This is my third time out here. So all I can say is be true to yourself. Everything else should fall into place.”

“Thanks…” he said meekly.

“Well, I got to go. I have to be on post for sentry in a few minutes.” Audrey patted Brian on the back before walking away.

Brian looked up at the night sky one last time. Smiling to himself he whispered “Goodnight, Leigh. I love you.”