Noah then turned to me and looked at me, He took two long strides and was holding me to him before I could blink. He kissed the top of my head, ran his fingers through my hair. When his lips came down to meet mine I pretended I couldn’t taste his tears, just as he pretended he wasn’t crying. He placed something hard in my hand and I knew exactly what it was, it was his mothers engagement ring, the one that had also been his grandmothers and great-grandmothers. He looked down at me and said “I know its not fair for me to give this to you, I could die-“
“No, you wont-“ I begin to say, unable to hold back my tears.
“jane, there is a very real possibility I will die, even if I don’t die who knows that when I get back if i will be the same person, that you will be the same person? Neither of us knows who we will be when the war ends, but I know right here and right now you are the girl I would have spent my life with, and that ring will be yours forever” he said, sadness dripping into every syllable. “please stay safe because I will do everything I can to come home to you”. He kissed me again, then turned away, as if seeing me, hearing my words, would destroy all resolve he had to get on that plane, so he walked away and didn’t turn back. I saw Owen run to join him, giving me a jovial wave and my girls ran to me and held me, we all sobbed then, after a little while we were able to join hands and walk to the taxi rank hand in hand, tears running down our cheeks with our heads held high.
Noah was right, we didn’t know what this war would bring. All I hoped it that it would spare my boys and bring them back to me.