a chair. “I know it was hard on Eric, but he keeps watching CNN. What does he expect to happen? It’s not like the war ended because he came home.”
“And therein lies your problem.”
For a second all Gabi could do was stare at the older woman before her eyes closed and she sighed again, louder. “I hadn’t thought about that. We haven’t talked a lot about what happened. I’ve asked and he keeps saying he doesn’t want me to know. I told him I see it every day on the news and he gives me this look, like I’m crazy.”
She hunched her shoulder. “I know some of his men died and several of his friends. If he talked to me I could help him through this.”
“Have you ever been in a war?”
“No, but I’m sure I can help him…I love him.”
“It’s not your love that’s the problem, Gabi, and this isn’t your particular battle. More men than people know come back from wars all screwed up. But it’s swept under the carpet so there will be no objection to the next war. This one your husband will have to handle on his own.”
For several seconds Gabi thought over Tracie’s remarks. This was not a battle Eric would have to fight alone, she’d help him. She’d make him remember how it was for them before all of this craziness started.
“ Have faith .”
Damn it. There it was again, the voice that had whispered to her. She hoped it didn’t mean she was fighting a losing battle. Gabi shivered thinking of Iraq . The things Tracie spoke of would never happen to her and Eric. They would get through this. Divorce wasn’t even in their vocabulary; that would never happen.
***
Eric was pissed. Had rational thinking prevailed, he would have addressed the real issue, which wasn’t the fight he’d had with his wife or the fact that she’d practically called him a eunuch, had threatened to take a lover. Eric glared at no one in particular. Maybe those hadn’t been the words Gabi used but that had been the sentiment behind them.
“Lieutenant, is there anything else I can do before I take off?”
Eric glared at the civilian secretary, wondering what the hell she was rambling about. When his eyes lit on the papers in Linda’s hands he was jerked back to the business at hand. He was still a soldier, albeit a soldier who got to go home off base at night and travel an hour and a half to make it back each day. Gabi was giving him shit about being tired, but neither of them had time for a baby; they barely had time for each other.
And when that excuse wears off, what are you going to use?
“Lieutenant, will there be anything else?”
“No, thank you, Linda. We’re done for the night.” Eric shuffled papers on his desk until the woman left the office. Then he turned and looked out the window. He blew out the last of his frustration knowing it was time to go home and fight it out with his wife.
Two steps from his car he turned to answer the voice that called him. Mike had a huge grin. He’d returned from Iraq about a day or so before Eric left. Since Eric’s return he had become closer with Mike.
“See you tomorrow,” Mike waved.
“Hey, man, aren’t you going to ask me to go clubbing with you tonight?”
“Why should I? I’ve done that for the last two weeks and every night it’s the same answer. No. Let me know when your wife has gotten enough of looking at your tired behind and then I’ll ask.”
Eric looked Mike squarely in the eye. “Then I would suggest you ask me tonight.”
“Problems?”
“A few,” Eric answered.
“Welcome home.”
***
“Come on, man, let off a little steam. It’s just what you need.”
“How would you know what I need?” Eric asked, narrowing his eyes at Mike, twirling his glass in his fingers. “I have a wife at home. I’ve never cheated on her and I’m not about to start now.”
“Don’t get bent out of shape. I know you have a wife at home, same as I do, a wife who keeps wanting to fix things, who wants you to tell her
“And therein lies your problem.”
For a second all Gabi could do was stare at the older woman before her eyes closed and she sighed again, louder. “I hadn’t thought about that. We haven’t talked a lot about what happened. I’ve asked and he keeps saying he doesn’t want me to know. I told him I see it every day on the news and he gives me this look, like I’m crazy.”
She hunched her shoulder. “I know some of his men died and several of his friends. If he talked to me I could help him through this.”
“Have you ever been in a war?”
“No, but I’m sure I can help him…I love him.”
“It’s not your love that’s the problem, Gabi, and this isn’t your particular battle. More men than people know come back from wars all screwed up. But it’s swept under the carpet so there will be no objection to the next war. This one your husband will have to handle on his own.”
For several seconds Gabi thought over Tracie’s remarks. This was not a battle Eric would have to fight alone, she’d help him. She’d make him remember how it was for them before all of this craziness started.
“ Have faith .”
Damn it. There it was again, the voice that had whispered to her. She hoped it didn’t mean she was fighting a losing battle. Gabi shivered thinking of Iraq . The things Tracie spoke of would never happen to her and Eric. They would get through this. Divorce wasn’t even in their vocabulary; that would never happen.
***
Eric was pissed. Had rational thinking prevailed, he would have addressed the real issue, which wasn’t the fight he’d had with his wife or the fact that she’d practically called him a eunuch, had threatened to take a lover. Eric glared at no one in particular. Maybe those hadn’t been the words Gabi used but that had been the sentiment behind them.
“Lieutenant, is there anything else I can do before I take off?”
Eric glared at the civilian secretary, wondering what the hell she was rambling about. When his eyes lit on the papers in Linda’s hands he was jerked back to the business at hand. He was still a soldier, albeit a soldier who got to go home off base at night and travel an hour and a half to make it back each day. Gabi was giving him shit about being tired, but neither of them had time for a baby; they barely had time for each other.
And when that excuse wears off, what are you going to use?
“Lieutenant, will there be anything else?”
“No, thank you, Linda. We’re done for the night.” Eric shuffled papers on his desk until the woman left the office. Then he turned and looked out the window. He blew out the last of his frustration knowing it was time to go home and fight it out with his wife.
Two steps from his car he turned to answer the voice that called him. Mike had a huge grin. He’d returned from Iraq about a day or so before Eric left. Since Eric’s return he had become closer with Mike.
“See you tomorrow,” Mike waved.
“Hey, man, aren’t you going to ask me to go clubbing with you tonight?”
“Why should I? I’ve done that for the last two weeks and every night it’s the same answer. No. Let me know when your wife has gotten enough of looking at your tired behind and then I’ll ask.”
Eric looked Mike squarely in the eye. “Then I would suggest you ask me tonight.”
“Problems?”
“A few,” Eric answered.
“Welcome home.”
***
“Come on, man, let off a little steam. It’s just what you need.”
“How would you know what I need?” Eric asked, narrowing his eyes at Mike, twirling his glass in his fingers. “I have a wife at home. I’ve never cheated on her and I’m not about to start now.”
“Don’t get bent out of shape. I know you have a wife at home, same as I do, a wife who keeps wanting to fix things, who wants you to tell her
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