Photograph ( Marina )

Chapter Thirty-Five ( part Two )

After laying everything out on that bed, maybe a little
more than once, Carina found herself wrapped up in her
lieutenant's strong arms once again. It was a feeling the
young doctor had yearned for the moment she laid in bed
alone on that very first night of Maya's absence. A feeling
she had considered a paperweight to keep her in place
until she could feel it again. Now, with the arms of the
woman she loved locked around her waist tightly, the
young brunette couldn't help but let a content sigh escape
her parted lips.

As she trailed her fingertips up and down the marine's
arms, Carina took in the new scrapes, and scars, while she
traced the rings of the blond-headed girl's tattoo. She knew
this was probably the first time Maya had slept in days. It
was evident on the older girl's face earlier that day that
sleep hadn't been on her side lately. With boot-camp
taking up the entire day back on base as well as the
thoughts of what was going on at home keeping her
lieutenant awake, Carina understood why that was.

Truthfully, sleep had been hard to come by for her as well,
since Maya's deployment. It had even gotten to the point
where she had been prescribed some sleeping medication.
However, after the love they had just made, and finally
having the marine home once again, Carina found no need
in taking it that night. She wanted to stay awake as long as
possible just to revel in the way her lieutenant's cold hands
warmed the moment they came into contact with her skin.
The brunette thanked God above she had taken her
contacts out prior to setting everything up for Maya's
little surprise, otherwise having to ruin everything by
slipping out of the sleeping girl's arms to do so. Suddenly,
reality settled into Carina's bones, her eye's following the
rise and fall of the marine's chest, as she realized
something in the early hours of that Sunday morning.

Maya would be leaving again the following day.

It took everything inside of her to not turn around in the
lieutenant's embrace, wrap her own arms around her
sleeping figure, and allow her heart to break with the
knowledge that her lover would be gone again this time
tomorrow. Instead, she slid her fingers between the older
girl's, gripping a little tighter than intended, and placed a
chaste kiss to the marine's bare shoulder. As if Maya
could tell exactly what had caused the gesture, she settled
her face between Carina's neck and shoulder, placing
sleepy lips to the younger girl's cheek.

"I love you, you know?" Maya mumbled, her voice thick
with sleep. "More than you could possibly imagine."

"I love you." The brunette replied quietly, careful not to let
her girlfriend see the silent trail of tears that had now
taken over her face. However, her plan backfired the
moment the marine turned her head and kissed the
younger girl's cheek; tasting the salty substance.

"What's wrong baby?"

"Nothing." Carina hummed in reply, knowing fully well
Maya wouldn't settle for anything less than the truth,
When the marine lifted her chin to get a better look at the
young doctor's face, the brown-eyed girl knew she wasn't fooling anyone, not even herself. With a small sigh, she
shifted to meet the lieutenant's ocean blue gaze with a
sad smile adorning her lips. "I just miss you."

Taking a moment to understand what it was Carina was
saying, Maya's brows furrowed in thought. She knew her
girlfriend missed her, it was more or less why she jumped
at the chance to come home when the General had allowed
it. But the marine also knew that two days would never be
enough time to silence Carina's withdrawal. Two days was
barely enough time to formulate what to do with their
new-found time, let alone get enough of each other to last
another five months. Maya's thoughts took her back to
that night in the bathroom of her grandparents' ranch
house after yet another 'episode. Her own voice filled her
head at the familiarity, "How tragic it would be, to love
her for only a millisecond of eternity."