***
An hour and a half later Jill woke as Jack pulled the Hummer into the gate at the Dover Air Base in southern Delaware. Jack flashed his military ID and asked for directions to the barracks. The guard told him which way to go, and then waved him on. They found the parking lot and Jill grabbed her duffel bag. Walking to the front of the barracks, they found their adjoining rooms. Standing by the two doors, Jill set her duffel down and looked up at Jack. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure, what’s up?”
“I have been—well—I want to say that my curiosity will not leave me alone. Ever since Mom told me to tell you ‘thank you,’ I keep wondering: what did she thank you for?”
“Hmm, I guessed sooner or later that would come up again. Your mom made me promise her something before we left for our mission. She loves you very much, and you’re her youngest child, and the only daughter she has . . .”
“Right, but what does that have to do with any promises?”
“Your mom was concerned about the mission. She knew it wasn’t a training mission, and she wanted me to promise that I would bring you back alive and well.”
“She actually said that to you?” Jill frowned as her eyes widened. “Mom had just met you. She had no right to put that burden you. And besides, I am very capable of taking care of myself. And on top of that—”
“Jill, it’s okay. I was glad to agree to her request. It was easy because I already had promised to myself that I would bring you back alive and safe. I had no intention of letting anything bad happen to you. I was ready to die to ensure your safety.”
“Well, right, but we have to do that, because we are soldiers,” Jill said.
“Yes, that’s right. We have to do it because we are soldiers . . .” Jack paused in the middle of his sentence. Jill wondered what Jack was struggling to say. “I knew I had to protect you, but it was much more than that. I wanted to protect you. I have never felt this way before toward anyone. I am not sure how to describe my feelings. But I know that you are very special. Most importantly, you are very special to me.”
“Jack, you are so sweet. I have always seen you as my partner, and sometimes more than that. But I never thought of you as my protector. I like that, I am—well—I just am not sure what to say.” Jill took a half a step toward Jack. Then she reached up and placed her hands gently on Jack’s chest. As she looked into his brown eyes, Jack put his hands on her narrow waist.
“Jill, I have never felt this way about anyone before. I could not bear the thought of anything bad happening to you.” Jack’s hands slid up Jill’s back, and rested on her shoulders.
“All that time we were on the mission, I was burdened with the success of the mission, and I never realized that you were concerned for me.” Jill’s hands slid down Jack’s chest and wrapped around his waist, resting on the muscles in his back. “I got caught up in the mission, and I couldn’t see what was happening right in front of me. I am so sorry that you had to carry that burden alone.”
“It was my promise, and I wanted to take care of you.” Jack looked into her eyes and began caressing her cheek.
Jill drew closer to Jack; her lips brushed his cheek. “I don’t think I have ever met anyone like you. You have such a protective spirit.” Jill nuzzled into Jack’s earlobe.
“You have no idea how glad I am that the Army put us together on the same sniper team.” Jack squeezed Jill closer into his chest.
“Me, too. I am looking forward to our future together.” Jill’s lips grazed Jack’s neck.
Jack and Jill stood there in front of the barracks for a long time. Neither of them moved.
“There is something we should talk about,” Jack said.
“What’s that, Jack?”
“Our future together.”
“Are you referring to the Army regulations about relationships in the chain of command? I was hoping we wouldn’t have to talk about that for a while,” Jill said.
“I know, but it is something that we have to address. And at the rate things are going we need to talk about it soon,” Jack said.
“Okay, we can talk about it, but let’s not tonight. Please . . .” Jill lamented the issues that would arise if Jack and Jill began seeing each other. “Can we talk about something else?”
“Okay. As a matter of fact, I have something for you.”
“Something for me?” Jill’s eyes brightened as she took a half a step back from Jack.
“It’s in my duffel. It should be near the top.” Jack untied the knot and began rummaging through the duffel bag. “Here it is.”
Jack produced a small flat package about four by six inches, and about half an inch thick, wrapped in a plain brown wrapper and tied with a coarse string. A simple tag said, “To: Jill, From: Jack.” Jack handed it to her and said, “I know this will not rate as high as the Aegis award, but I couldn’t resist giving this to you. I hope you like it.”
Jill’s fingers trembled as they grabbed the ends of the string. Jack was giving her a gift. He must like me. I wonder what it is. She eagerly, but gently removed the string and brown paper. As she removed the paper she saw the back of a brown wooden picture frame. Jill anxiously turned it over. It was a framed photo of the deer—the one that they had seen on their mission. “Oh, Jack, it’s wonderful. How did you ever get this picture?”
“One time when you were taking a bathroom break during our mission, the deer wandered through the camp. So I pulled out my pocket camera and snapped a photo without the deer noticing me.”
Jill’s eyes watered as her finger stroked the ragged ear of the deer in the photo. She stepped toward Jack, reached her arms around him, and gave him a long hard hug followed by a firm kiss on his cheek. “You are so thoughtful. Thank you so much. I can’t wait to show Mom.” Jill wanted to show her mom the photo, and also explain to her how her relationship with her sniping partner was entering a new dimension.
Jack’s arms wrapped around Jill’s waist. “When you talk to your mom, tell her I said ‘hello.’ I am growing close to all of your family, but there is something unique about your mom. I don’t know how to express it, but somehow she is very special to me.”
Jill thought how Jack never had a mother or father. Maybe he is drawn to Mom because she is like a mother to him. Whatever the reason, I am glad the two of them get along so well.
“Jack.”
“Yes, Jill.”
“Could you hold me for a little while?”
“I would love to.”
Jack tightened his embrace as Jill snuggled tightly into his arms.
Jill changed her clothes as soon as she entered her room, and then called her mom. “Hi, Mom.”
“Jill, I am so glad to hear from you. Where are you?”
“I am at Dover Air Force base in Delaware. I just got back from Washington.”
“Washington? As in Washington, D.C.?”
“Yes, Mom.”
“What did you go to Washington for?”
“I had a meeting.”
“Oh, I see. You can’t talk about it, can you?”
“Mmm.”
“I remember that Shooter went to Washington after one of his ‘training missions.’ He wouldn’t talk about it either. Soon after that I noticed a new medal in his bureau drawer with his other medals. When I asked him about it, he said he couldn’t talk about it. I understand the nature of what you do and how you can’t say much. I just want you to know that I am proud of you.”
“Thank you, Mom.”
“How is Jack?”
“He is fine,” Jill said. “I am glad that you asked. Jack is here in Dover with me, and we had a really nice time tonight.”
“Is this another top secret situation, or can you talk about it?”
“Mom, Jack is very special.”
“I know, Jill.”
Jill remembered her last conversation with Jack. “He really likes our family, and he said that you are special to him.”
“Oh . . . he is so sweet
. Jill, don’t let him get away.”
“Aw, Mom, let’s not put the cart before the horse.” Jill hesitated. “Jack did give me a really nice present tonight.”
“Don’t keep me in suspense. What was it?”
“When we were on the last training mission I made friends with a deer. He was beautiful, and so friendly. He was eating food right out of my hand. I remember it as if it just happened. So anyhow, while I wasn’t looking, Jack took a picture of the deer. After we got back he had a print made and put it in a pretty frame. He wrapped it up and gave it to me tonight. I am so excited.”
“I like Jack more and more as time goes by,” her mother said.
“Me, too.” Jill paused. “Well, I’ve got to run. Tell Shooter I send him my love.”
“Okay. Goodnight, Jill.”
“Goodnight, Mom.”
Jill set the phone down, then crawled under the bed covers and turned off the lights. I really do like Jack. I wonder if Jack likes me as much as I like him.