Hearts Afar

...39...

...39...

Today was the day of Hannah's awards ceremony and I was almost livid with Brent. When I woke up, he was already gone and he promised us that he would be there for Hannah. I didn't let on how upset I was until after the kids went to school and I did my morning cleaning. After everything was done, I grabbed my cell phone and pressed his number to call him.

"Yello," he answered after two rings.

"Where are you?" I asked.

"Aw honey, I didn't realize that we had that kind of relationship."

"Brent Buchanan, this is no time to joke around."

"Claire, I'll still be there," he said.

"You could have at least told me where you were going before dawn this morning."

"Legs relax. I will be there. I would not stand Hannah up like that. After the ceremony, we're still going out to eat."

"Brent..."

"Claire, just let me take care of some business. The thing doesn't start until two and it's only ten. I have four hours to be there."

"You better be there early."

"Yes ma'am," he said. "I'll be there at one forty five. Save me a seat."

"Goodbye," I huffed and ended the call.

After talking to him, I was still a little upset. I just wanted everyone there in support of Hannah who was slowly starting to come out of whatever shell she put herself in. I called to remind mom about it and she told me that she remembered and that she and the girls would all be there. I already knew that Barbie and Haylee would be there so I opted out of calling them.

When I was certain that everything in the house that needed done was done, I went upstairs to start getting myself ready. I sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at the framed picture of me and my dad together. Things has changed so much and after losing him, I never wanted to experience losing someone else I loved because of the military again. For so long, I imagined the worst about Clay's disappearance but I was still trying to stay positive that he was going to come home. I just wished he was already here so he could be here for Hannah today.

It was already one fifteen by time I walked out of the door to head to the school. I had hoped that I could leave a little bit earlier but time got away from me. I was lucky that I found a close parking spot and swung my car into it. I was following behind a couple of others that decided to show up a little earlier. I only hoped that there would be enough seating in one area for all of us to be together. When I walked into the gym, Hannah's teacher was already there and had told me that she saved enough seats for all of us in the second row, behind the students.

I was there for about ten minutes, when mom, the twins, Haylee and Barbie showed up. I was looking around for Brent but never saw him. I asked Haylee if they had seen or heard from him but she said that they haven't heard from him since yesterday. As the time ticked down and the closer it got for the ceremony to start, the more nervous I got because Brent and Mikey still had not shown up. When the kids were being ushered into the gym and told where to sit, Brent still had yet to show his face. With two minutes left, I heard a rustle beside me and looked over.

"I told you I'd make it," Brent smiled and Mikey moved on past me to sit beside Haylee and Barbie.

"Yeah, just in the nick of time," I said.

"Better late than never?"

"You said you'd be here fifteen minutes ago," I said, looking around and spotting Hannah. She saw us and smiled, waving at us.