Never Say Goodbye

Chapter 16

"I should get back to the Villa. Could I walk you back to the party or would you like me to take you back?"

"Actually, I'm feeling a little tired."

"To your tent we go then." I took his arm that he held out for me to take. He really could be so genteel at times and yet such a brute in others. We slowly walked back to the barracks and I could faintly hear him humming Dream a Little Dream of Me. It reminded me of the times I used to have him sing for me. I always loved his rich and mellifluent baritone voice. I remember the first time I heard his voice. We were in some of the same classes in high school and the math teacher used to put on records and he would sing along with me. I can never sit still when music is on and if it's a song I know and like, which is most, I can't keep my mouth shut either.

To think I had almost missed my chance with Charles. It took me three months to actually realize that he could be more than just a good friend. Although, by a few weeks he had already started to talk to another girl in our math class. I didn't realize until he was giving her all his attention that I actually liked having his attention on me. He always claimed that she was nothing to him, but he dated her up until that night he came throwing rocks at my window. I'm always so slow at realizing things, it is one of my greatest flaws. Thankfully, Charles knew better. Thank God, because if it was up to me nothing would have ever happened. Jesus knew I had missed my mark and was then stewing in my slow reaction.

"Helen?" Charles interrupted my reverie.

"Yes?"

"Nothing, you are just really quiet. But you do that a lot don't you? You get lost in thoughts frequently, I think. I like watching you think, you get this lost look and you get a small crinkle in the middle of your forehead. You almost look serene. Sometimes you look as if you put your whole soul into that one thought and your body is left as a shell."

"That is called a daydream and I do tend to do that a lot. Oh, we're here already. Wow, that was quick."

"Not really we've been walking for about fifteen minutes."

"Really? It didn't feel like it."

"So, this is where I should say goodnight." He grabbed my hand and kissed it like he did this morning, and it stole my breath. "Goodnight wife."

"Goodnight husband." He gave me a brief smile then turned to leave. As I listened to his footsteps recede a thought flashed into my mind.

"Charles." I called after him.

He turned. "Yes?"

"That dream of yours. It wasn't just a dream. That was our first night in the house you bought for us. We moved in two days after we were married. You said it was our honeymoon. And you know what Charles? It was the best honeymoon anyone could have asked for." He looked down at his shoes and I could see him trying to process the information. When he finally looked up he was smiling. I let go of a breath that I hadn't realized I was holding and smiled back at him.

"Thank you Helen. Goodnight, dream a little dream of me?"
 "Always and forever handsome."

*******

I couldn't see Charles for a while after that. We sent notes to each other here and there, but I didn't get the blessing to see him in person. Things got so hectic at the hospital. Judy, Nadi, and I were pulling extra shifts. Milena, was working her long hours and spent what free time she had with Benedict. I really missed Charles, but there really was no time and after our breakthrough the other night all I wanted to do was to wrap my arms around him and pull him close to make sure he didn't run away.

I knew it wouldn't be the right thing to do, but I was all nerves and I didn't want to lose him. Two weeks without seeing him, he could change his mind or even forget about me. My father always said that if a man actually wanted me he wouldn't run away. In my youth I had a history of boys I liked run the other direction when they found out that I had greater feelings for them than just friendly. It sort of grated on my nerves that I kept thinking about his words now.