Under Normal Circumstances

The Road Home

Do you ever act a certain way around different people? Like, the version of yourself your best friend knows is not exactly the version your mom knows, and definitely not the version your teachers know? When you're by yourself is it different too?

I hadn't been by myself for a quite a while and so much had happened, I'd have to see who I was now.

I shuffled onto the plane with the handful of other passengers and took my seat by the window on the right side of the plane. I carefully slid the back pack under the seat in front of me and got comfortable. The sun had started to break through the clouds and the rain had let up a bit. I gazed out the window, following the trail of a raindrop with my finger. I looked from the drop to my hand, my left hand, and the ring finger in particular.

Mrs Slivko

I bit my lip as a shiver passed through me. Married to Slivie? What would that be like? The word Wonderful flashed in my mind and nearly made me giggle before I waved it away and tried to be reasonable. I was not a Jane Austen character, how could I consider marriage when I'd only known him for a week. And that's when the inner argument between logic and emotion began.

But consider the quality of that week. Most people start out by learning small, meaningless things about each other. With Slivko you already know he'd stand between you death itself.

But what about when circumstances aren't so dire? Can he put me first in smaller things? Do we have common interests enough to get along in the normal world?

Isn't there a level of care and understanding there that transcends things like that? Could you really imagine being with anyone else? He knows your whole story. He knows how to stop the nightmares. He wants to.

"Please prepare for take off," the speaker crackled to life, interrupting my internal argument.

I noticed no one was sitting on my row with me.

"Well," I thought to myself. "Here's the opportunity for some quality alone time."

Once we were in the air, I stretched my legs over the empty seats and tipped my cap down over my eyes and settled in. Logic and emotion began their banter once more.

I figured out a lot of things out by the time we touched down in Tennessee. For instance, I wasn't afraid of skullcrawlers coming up in my hometown. There had been no reason to believe in monsters before, so I thought it was safe to say that things would carry on as they always had. Especially since Kong was safe and protecting us all.

Still, I knew I would have nightmares replaying the horrors I had seen on that island. That's the part I was afraid of. I was afraid that I'd see Jack die in my dreams and that I would never be able to change that.

I was still afraid that Grace might blame me for not bringing him home. And even if she didn't blame me for it, there was heaps more negative thoughts and emotions she could have toward me. But I wouldn't know until I saw her, so I should try to wait and not assume or worry too much.

I really wished my sister still had her husband. I wish Billy had his dad. And I wished I had my friend. I wished I could tell him about Hank and about Slivko. I wanted to know what he would think of it all. That's what prompted me to look at that notebook Mills handed over to me. I flipped through the warped and wavy pages until a letter to Grace caught my eye. The date was within the past week.

My dearest Grace,

You know I love you Gracie, and I'd give anything to be with you and Billy right now. I'm sorry I won't come home when I said I would. It's nice to see Maybelle again, though. You'll be happy to know she made fast friends with everyone. I know you worry about her making friends. She's thick as thieves with Slivko already, you should see them. It'd be a riot if she fell for an enlisted man too, don't you think? She told me a lot about you and Billy, gave me his drawing. I miss you two with all my heart and can't wait to be back with you soon.