Jack froze, his heart pounding in his chest.
It was her.
Erica.
Her silky brown hair blew gently in the breeze. She wore a knee length white dress with red polka dots. In her hand she clutched the handle of a medium sized suitcase.
Her eyes met and she half smiled at him, half frowned. Erica slowly walked towards him.
"Hello Jack,"
"Erica," he says back.
A current of sadness hangs in the air around them.
"It's been a long time," she gazes up at him.
He nods "Too long,"
"I-I didn't even know you were back?" she questions sadly.
"I know,"
"I thought you were dead," she affirms.
"I know-"
"I waited for you! For months," she's crying now.
"I know," Jack pulls her in towards him and hugs her against his chest.
Erica beats a weak fist against him "I thought you were dead," she sobs heavily.
"I'm sorry," Jack mumbles into her hair "Erica I'm sorry,"
His eyes are glassy with tears as he feels her shoulders shaking in his grasp.
"I shouldn't have left you. It's my fault," Jack is whispering now, his mind speaking the words he'd thought about for months.
"There wasnt a day in France that I didn't think about you and the baby. The way I treated you, the way I hurt you. I should have been here. For you,"
Erica pulls back from his grip and stares up at him through teary eyes. "There's something I need to tell you,"
Jack's brows knit together "Tell me," he's anxious now and his arms grip ger shoulders as he searches her face.
Suddenly a group of soldiers laughing and joking bustle past the two of them. Erica turns her face away.
"Not here," she shakes her head "Follow me,"
She steps out of his grasp completely and picks up her suitcase once more. She walks down the familiar path and Jack follows after her. The two of them say nothing until they are at the very edge of the air base. Erica sets her case down and grips a steadying hand onto the chain link fence. She stares desperately at the dark foreboding runaway ahead of her.
Jack slips his hands into his pockets and watches her for a moment. He inhales and takes a step forward.
"What is it you need to tell me?"
Erica turned to him once more. She searched his face again, she was certain he didn't know.
His blonde hair had grown since she'd seen him last and as he stood watching her, his hair swept back in the breeze.
"If you didn't hate me before, then you will now," she sighs.
Jacks eyebrows furrow as he listens to Erica reveal the truth about her baby. As she speaks he finds himself pacing slowly in the grass. His heart and head in a futile battle of emotions. Listening to her words brought back every memory he'd bottled up over the last year. Everything from losing the baby, meeting Erica, betraying Ali, losing Ali, finding out the truth of Ali's baby...it was too much.
Jack sank into the grass. His bank agsinst the chain link fence. He picked idly at a strand of grass as Erica's story came to its end.
Silence.
She stared towards the runway, her hand gripping the fence.
He stared at the ground. The grass swayed gently and he watched the motion move from left to right, right to left... Swaying.
Silence.
He computed the words slowly. Piecing the puzzles of his shattered life. He had Ali, he'd lost Ali because of Erica, he'd had a baby, he'd lost the baby, but then gained another baby and Ali, but lost Erica. Everything he'd believed for the past year was a lie and yet why did it still hurt so much?
"I understand if you hate me," Erica's voice is quiet and distant. Her voice devoid of emotion.
Jack says nothing for a long time. It's as though his mind is lost in thick fog. Time is moving in slow motion and he's trapped.
"I don't hate you," he says after a moment.
Erica turns to look down at him. A tear rolls silently down her cheek and onto the soft grass below. She wipes at her face and lets her hand fall beside her.
Jack takes it gently and holds it against his shoulder as he looks across the grassy field towards the air base.
"I don't hate you," he repeats stroking his thumb against her hand.
"But I ruined your life," Erica sniffs.
Jack shakes his head "No..." he gazes up at her then so their eyes meet "You saved it,"
Erica's eyes widen then, she tries to take her hand back but Jack holds onto it tight. His eyes never leaving hers.
"You saved me Erica," he says it more clearly now.
"When I was trapped in France there wasn't a day I didn't think of you, of her. Every day I would see her beautiful face, remember the weight of her in my arms, hear her soft breaths," he strokes her hand again.
"She was real and whether she was mine or not, I loved her... I still do...I always will," He turns back to face the air base.
Erica watches him silently before turning and sitting beside him in the grass. She leans her head against his shoulder and Jack holds her hand in his. After a few minutes Jack speaks again...
"What did you decide to call her?"
Erica shakes her head "I didn't. Nothing ever seemed right for her," she says sadly.
Jack nods his head slowly.
"What did- I mean, did you have a name for her in your dreams?" Erica asks.
Jack watches her then nods slowly.
"Rosie," he smiles "She was always my little Rosie,"
Erica reached up and touched a gentle hand to his cheek.
"Rosie," she breathes happily "It's perfect,"
The two of them sit together in the afternoon sun. The breeze blows gently around them and the grass rustles quietly.
They talk idly of Jacks time back in Dorset and of Erica's work here at the base. The conversation is light and on that late August afternoon, on that small little patch of grass with the sun beating down on them, life was good again...even just for a few moments.
Erica checks her wrist watch and sits up. "We should get back," she stands and dusts off her dress before gripping her suitcase and lifting it from the ground.
Jack, just now noticing the suitcase stares up at Erica confused. "You're leaving?"
She nods "I've been transferred to a hospital in Manchester," she explains "I'll be closer to my family up North," she adds when she sees Jacks face fall slightly.
"There's nothing left for me here Jack. Rosie is gone, you were gone-"
"But I'm here now," Jack stands.
"I know," Erica smiles "But you have your wonderful Ali back and you've got your baby coming so soon,"
The two of them start to walk back towards the base. Jack takes the case from Erica and carries it for her.
"And what about you?" Jack asks.
"What about me?"
"Will you be alright?"
Erica chuckles lightly "Do not worry about me Jack Collins. It's a chance for me to start again you know. Who knows maybe I'll meet someone new,"
Jack smiles then.
The two of them reach the green in the centre of the base. Erica joins the back of the queue for the military bus to Manchester. Jack waits beside her.
"I'll always be here for you Erica,"
She turns to him then and takes the suitcase from him.
"I know you will Jack,"
They step forward in the queue.
"If you need anything, anything at all you let me know,"
Erica touches a hand to Jacks cheek and smiles sadly. He holds it to his face.
"This is the end now Jack,"
He squeezes his eyes shut as he feels the warmth of her hand against his skin.
"We both need to keep moving forward," she steps towards the entrance of the bus then lingers.
"You won't see me again Jack,"
Jacks heart lurches but he nods knowingly. This chapter in his life is over, and he would be okay with that.
"You take care of yourself now," Jack clears his throat and nods towards Erica.
She hesistates before stepping off the bus and hurrying towards Jack. She throws her arms around his neck and hugs him tight. Jack holds her close and smiles.
"You go now," he says into her ear "Live the life you deserve,"
"You too Jack," Erica reaches up and places a lingering kiss on his cheek.
She gathers her case and steps up onto the bus. She turns one more time to see Jack watching her from the bus station.
He tips his head towards her "Take care of yourself Miss Lennox,"
She nods back at him and smiles just as the bus doors slide shut. She makes her way to an empty seat near the back and sits down. She tucks her case underneath her seat and preens the creases from her dress. Her heart is stammering in her chest and a sea of emotions wash over her.
From the roadside Jack watches her through the window. Shes busying herself inside the bus. With a tired pssssss the bus comes to life and slowly pulls away.
Jack raises a hand to wave goodbye, he waits for her to turn one last time but she never does.
She was gone.