𝚂𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝 • 𝚂𝚝𝚎𝚟𝚎 𝚁𝚘𝚐𝚎𝚛𝚜

22 • If Today Could Last Forever

Millie sat at the dining table, the sun streaming through her family window, not Steve's, right on her face. When Bucky called her parents yesterday, they immediately demanded Millie come home so they could spend time together as a family before she left, and of course she took Steve with her.

Her mother, Ethel, could barely speak without bursting into tears. Frank on the other hand tried to play tough, but even Millie knew he was hurting.

Everyone was in pure agony over her leaving, including Millie herself. She immediately regretted her decision, but she couldn't change it. She made her own bed, now she must lay in it.

Steve sat across with her, along with her mother and father on either side. They were quietly eating lunch, just as they'd quietly done most things through out the day.

The silence killed Millie, though she couldn't blame anyone. They were simply in pain, and opening mouths risked tears spilling.

"Thank you for lunch, ma." Millie attempted to make conversation, but Ethel just nodded.

"Yes, and thank you for allowing me to stay, Mister and Missus Elliot." Steve added.

"We are past formalities now, son." Frank tried to smile. "We're family."

Steve smiled and the table nearly fell into silence once more, but Ethel quietly excused herself to the kitchen to start cleaning.

"Steve," Frank said. "Come to the basement with me, would ya? I gotta fix something and the lights busted, could use you for the flashlight."

"Oh, of course." Steve got up and pushed his chair in, hesitantly leaving Millie who sat still at the table, picking at her nails.

Frank led Steve down the stairs and plucked the lightbulb string the hung overhead. "Hey, I though the light was out?"

"I lied," Frank said. "I just needed to get you alone."

Steve shoved his hands in his pockets. "Oh-"

"You didn't propose." Steve shook his head. "Why not?"

"I was going to, Frank. I had the whole thing planned out and then I...she..." Steve swallowed. "It didn't work out."

"Where's the ring?"

"At home." Steve said quietly, thinking back to his little blue case that he kept his valuables in. "I still want the proposal to be special, and not rushed. I figured it'd be best to propose when she comes home."

Frank raised an eyebrows. "I shouldn't have to ask this of you, but Steve...will you wait for her?" He questioned. "We don't know how long this war could last, it could be years still."

"Of course I'll wait for her, Frank. She's the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I'll make her mine the second I get the chance."

Frank placed a hand on Steve's shoulder and smiled. "Steve, it'll be an honour walking her down the aisle to you."

"Thank you, Sir. I look forward to the day."

A loud crash broke the men out of their discussion and the pair quickly ran up the stairs to see Millie, standing in the door way of the kitchen with shattered porcelain all around her, sobbing uncontrollably.

"I'm sorry," she said in between gaps. "It was an accident, I-I didn't mean to."

Ethel was trying to comfort Millie but she was nearly inconsolable, and when Frank tried to put a loving hand on her back, Millie pushed past him and ran upstairs to her room.

"I'll go," Steve said. "I'll see if she's okay."

Frank and Ethel stared at their feet and nodded. It was one of those situations where nobody really knew the right thing to do, or what to say. The fear of saying something wrong was almost debilitating.