Fated Love (BWWM)

1970's - 9

It was the day they both dreaded.

Nate was getting sent out to basic training before getting shipped out to Saigon, Vietnam.

Jessica was holding on tight to Nate as they navigated the train station where hundreds of Marine wines and children tearfully saying bye to their father, brother, husband etc. The whole scene was making Jessica sicker than she was that morning.

Nate checked in with a couple of people before facing her. Nate usually looked so confident and cheerful, but now he looked, nervous? Scared? She couldn't tell. She reached up to touch his face and brought it closer to hers, foreheads touching. They earned a couple of strange looks from people, but at that point, they couldn't be bothered to care. "What's running through your mind?" She asked.

Nate looked up and looked around at his surroundings. "Goddamn it," he mutters. "You were right, I️ am making a mistake here," he nervously confesses to her. "I'm scared."

"Honey, you're gonna do great-"

"No! Not for me, I️ don't care about me. I️ meant for you," he exclaims, holding on to her hands now for comfort. "I'm leaving you alone. How could I️ do that?" He shakes his head.

Jessica nervously bites her lip. "You're not...leaving me alone," she says, the tone in her voice catching him off guard.

"What? Well I️ mean, of course not. You'll be with your mother-"

"No I️ mean-"

"All new recruits, all aboard in five minutes!"

"I️ gotta go," He tells her, slipping his hand out of her grasp. He presses a kiss on her lips so hard, she thought she'd might break herself.

But once he pulled away, she shakes her head into focus. "No Nate, wait!" She grabs his wrist.

"Two minutes!"

"Jess, I️ have to go!" He says urgently, watching everyone board the train now. If he didn't leave now, he'd be in violation of his sentence, and he'd me going away to jail for way longer than fifteen years.

"Nate, I️-I️'m pregnant!" She blurts out, making him stop and look back. "I'm pregnant," she cries.

"One minute!"

Nate looks between the train and her, thinking about what he should do. He then rushed over to her and kisses her again, longer than before this time. "I'll come back to you. I️ promise," he whispers, her hand closing around the one on her face. "Both of you."

"Thirty seconds!"

"I️ love you," she says.

"I️ love you too."

The train horn sounds off as the last of the passengers hop on board. Jess tearfully watches the train pull away as a couple of women around her look at her in sympathy.

                                    * * * *

Dear Nathan,

I️ know. I️ should've told you earlier. But I️ wasn't sure yet. My mother actually thinks I've been pregnant for a month now, before the trial. But after our honeymoon, I️ was pretty sure.

But I️ also didn't want to burden you about taking care of our baby, you already have so much going on. But I️ also couldn't live with myself if you....didn't know about him/her before you left.

But don't worry about us honey. I'm with my mom, and Kim and Andy promised to be great godparents to our child, like I️ know you'd like.

Love you,
Jessica