" The real love is the one that makes you a better person. Without changing you into someone different than yourself."
- Unknown
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When Hazel opened her eyes the next morning, her lips were sore. But then she smiled softly to herself, scrunching up her nose a bit as she giggled to herself.
Joe.
His arm was wrapped around her waist, holding her gently against his shallow breathing chest, and she felt so warm in his embrace, completely cuddled up against him. Hazel smiled.
Hazel stared forward towards the wooden floor, where the sunlight streamed down onto the wooden planks and the various potted plants that were scattered in the corner around the closet. The sweet smell of the mountain air slowly filtered in through the open window and she even heard a few birds tweeting outside, and a few quiet chirps of the early morning crickets. It was a peaceful sound that made her smile more.
This was all she had wanted - what she had wanted ever since Joe and her had truly confessed their hidden feelings.
To wake up on a beautiful morning, snuggled into his arms together in a warm comforter without seemingly a care in the world.
And for once, there were no nightmares in her sleep, no images of war that horrified her, no feeling of the wound in her abdomen, no feeling of waking up and wanting to cry - none of it. Being here with Joe finally made her feel safe in her sleep - in reality.
Hazel remembered Paris - the night where a single conversation changed their entire relationship. Hazel hadn't believed it was possible that a single conversation could do something like that, but it had changed everything. It was more than the joking, Joe telling Hazel he adored it, her story about he father - all of it.
It was the fact Joe Liebgott had sat there and watched her and simply just listened to her. He didn't judge, he didn't make fun of her, he didn't degrade her - he sat and listened to each and every word and picked up on each and every emotion that poured from her system. Hazel felt that Joe knew her to her core.
And that was an even more powerful feeling than what love was. Hazel felt holding that with Joe was more special than anything in the world.
Hazel felt Joe shift a bit behind her as the grip he had around her waist tightened a bit and she felt his nose tickling her soft skin against her neck, making her let out a giggle, turning her head towards Joe with shining eyes. His own sleepy eyes looked back towards her, a lazy smirk on his lips, those two dimples making their appearance and his hair stuck up in too many directions to account for.
" Morning," he mumbled, his voice gruff, making her cheeks flame. She forgot how much she loved his morning voice that it made her heart skip a beat, sending her smiling.
She still couldn't believe this was all real, that she had just woken up beside Joe Liebgott in a warm and comfy bed.
" Good morning," she whispered gently, her voice gentle and so pure in the morning. It made Joe smile lazily at her.
" Can I tel you something?" Hazel whispered softly, her eyes shining.
" Of course," Joe whispered, pushing hair behind her ear as she giggled a bit.
" You look cute when you wake up in the morning." Hazel said and her face went bright pink in a nervous way - a shy way.
" I look cute, I think you look cuter." Joe said and Hazel giggled as Joe smirked at her.
" But if I do say so myself I am pretty cute." Joe said and Hazel let out a giggle, squeezing her eyes shut as she shook her head. Meeting his gaze again she couldn't help but smile up at him.
" Will life be like this? In San Fransisco?" she whispered to him.
" Yes," Joe whispered, slowly leaning forward to press a soft kiss to her forehead before looking right into her eyes, " and we'll be able to go on a real date, and we can go dancing - I'll show you the bridge, all of it. Just you and I." Hazel's smile only grew.
" It's all I want." she whispered.
" And I promise to give it to you." he whispered back and she smiled.
" I love you, Joe." she said, watching that dorky little smirk rise on his face again.
" Holy shit, I love you." Joe whispered and Hazel let out a shy giggle, " I do, I really do. You deserve to be told you're loved, Hazel. Everyday." Hazel watched him with shining eyes.
" Joe..."
But the look Joe gave Hazel made her voice catch in her throat and a smile spread across her face. Joe softly pressed his forehead to hers, their eyes gently shut - and for that moment, it was just the two of them in each other's arms, listening to nothing but the birds and the crickets, feeling the warm sun filter in through the open windows and a gentle breeze brush over their heads. Hazel wished that if there were ever those few moments you could stay in forever, this would be closest to the top, sitting here with Joe, just being right here with him.
" You ever wish you could stay in moments forever?" she whispered softly.
" With you? Always." And Hazel felt her heart race - because Joe finally made her feel things, other than the pain and grief of a love that just wasn't meant to be. With Joe loved seemed more than possible, it seemed worth every bit of it.
" Hey, Joe?" Hazel asked as Joe softly watched her, right in front of her face.
" Hm?" he hummed gently, softly.
" Sometimes I miss war." she whispered softly, her heart breaking at the statement, her eyes boring into his, filled with an evident pain, " Not war-war, but being with all the guys, that part of war, being with Catherine and Lizzie - I"m going to miss that." Joe softly watched her in the soft morning light.
" Me too," Joe said softly. Hazel frowned a bit, softly meeting his gaze, glowing against the beige pillow.
The two watched each other softly that morning, a silent conversation passing from eye to eye - they didn't need words co communicate what they were each feeling about this war and the final end to it all - even a month later. It was hard sometimes and it sucked. Getting out of a routine you were breed to moving with. It would be hard and continue to be hard.
When the two arrived out to the large backroom, Lena was already working around the kitchen, making pancakes, bacon, eggs, and coffee.
" Hey, you two." Lena called as Daisy lay by her feet, a doggy smile on her face, " Sleep well?" Hazel turned bright red as Joe smirked.
" Mom." muttered Hazel, her cheeks blooming red. Lena chuckled as Joe couldn't help but press a soft kiss to Hazel's forehead as she giggled softly shaking her head.
" Coffee?" Lena asked.
" Would you like a cup?" Hazel asked Joe softly with sleepy eyes.
" Yeah, but hey you go sit down I can get it." Joe said and Hazel smiled softly as her mother watched with warm and loving eyes.
" Thanks, Joe." she said as Daisy came padding across the kitchen towards Hazel as she moved out towards the table. Lena looked towards Hazel as Hazel began baby-talking Daisy and smiled before Joe stopped by her side and began pouring cups of coffee.
" How is she?" Lena softly asked Joe. Joe glanced at her and then looked towards where Hazel sat at the table. Joe smiled.
" She's happy," Joe said, " happier than I've ever seen her before." Lena smiled at him.
" Thank you for being a part of her life," Lena said as she flipped a pancake, " I know she's happier." And Joe watched as Lena turned and looked towards her daughter again, watching Hazel let out a joyful giggle as Daisy licked her face. Joe's heart soared right up towards God it seemed - he never imagined he could feel this way, but he did and he hoped it never faded. Joe could see just how powerful of a bond the mother and daughter had even after 3 years apart. Joe grinned.
" Would you care for some coffee?" Joe asked her and Lena glanced towards him.
" I actually had some before you two were awake, but count me in for a 3rd cup." she said and Joe chuckled. Pouring the 3 cups of coffee, Joe carefully added all the fixings inside them before sliding Lena's cup towards her.
" Thank you," Lena said and Joe nodded with a grin. Lena glanced towards Hazel who sat looking out the window suddenly, her gaze a bit off-centered, glazed off, unfocused. Lena let out a soft sigh.
" It happens sometimes, the memories." Joe whispered as he moved past her towards Hazel the cups of coffee in his grasp. Lena watched Joe gently sit down the coffee before sliding in beside Hazel and placing a hand to her shoulder. Hazel seemed to snap out of it and within minutes, she was smiling again and for a moment everything was okay.
And within a few days, San Fransisco quickly did become that reality that the two had dreamed of. With train tickets straight across the country to San Fransisco, the reality was coming closer and closer.
Hazel, even though she had been gone for three years stepped in her room for the last time as any semblance of that young child. She knew whenever she were to return, she'd be older - she wouldn't be much of a child anymore, and she might even be married or have a child.
Hazel stood in the room, hugging her arms around her chest as she let her eyes wander around the edges of her childhood room. She remembered the long nights of having to hear her father spit nasty words at her mother, drunk and a sweaty mess, with glasses breaking and shattering. She remembered sitting in the corner, hands to her ears, praying for it all to just stop. Hazel squeezed her eyes shut for a moment.
" That's the past..." Hazel whispered, hugging herself tighter, "it's the past, it's the past." Hazel softly let out a gentle sigh and let her soft eyes roam the room.
" You packed up?" Hazel heard her mother ask, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. Hazel looked back over her shoulder towards her and then nodded with a small smile.
" Yeah." Hazel whispered, before looking back at the room, " I'll miss this room." Lena smiled and rubbed her daughter's shoulder.
A silent touch and conversation passed between the two - Hazel had memories of her and her mother lying in bed together at night simply just crying. That had to be some of the lowest points of Hazel's life. But here, right now, Hazel knew that was in the past, both of their pasts, it could only be downhill from here.
" Joe's outside, everything's been packed." Lena said and Hazel nodded softly nibbling on her bottom lip.
Hazel looked at her mother and before she knew it the two were holding each other in a warm hug, a tight and loving hug, just the two of them, mother and daughter. They didn't need to say a word as the two held onto one another. Hazel was leaving - but this time for a new life, not for war. That settled Lena's nerves.
Walking outside, the two women found Joe crouched in his uniform by Daisy. Hazel felt her heart warm as Joe glanced over his shoulder towards them and smiled.
And with that smile, she knew she was ready, there was no fear inside her of moving to San Fransisco, and leaving her mother again. This was a new beginning, one Hazel had always wished to start.
She knew she needed this - she felt free.
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hey!! i'm back with another update - this chapter is shorter than the next for various reasons so get ready for A LONG ONE!!! YAY!!!
and if you didn't see my announcement i posted on my page, updates will have to grow more spread out as i have school quickly approaching and 3 AP classes - yay me! LOL and so the stress will be top notch and writing will be my only escape at this point :) always know that i will be dutifully writing, just the updates will be spread out more for my own sanity HAHA! thanks!!
and i have the rest of this book planned out - ie postwar! i'll share my plans with you on it if you'd like!
i am finishing out regular postwar and then i will be doing a series of one shots to feature couples like hazel + joe, catherine + george and lizzie + talbert, and then each child will get a one shot - a fairly long one at that! i don't want to stretch on postwar for longer than necessary and then make it pointless, but i want to hit some important parts as well :) but that's what it is lining up to look like!!! and possibly a lil epilogue :)
thanks again everyone - it means the world!