"Life, Love, and Other Mysteries" Chapter 8

Chapter 8


Jael stood back and watched her husband check his last bag at the airport, and tried to hold back the tears burning at the back of her eyes. Everything seemed to be speeding up when he was leaving, and she was sure this deployment would feel like he was gone for forever. Sighing, she sat in one of the hard plastic chairs and watched Elisha walk toward her.

"Baby, are you okay?" he knelt down before her, his dark eyes assessing as he took her hand in his.

"No." she whispered, cupping his cheek in her hand. "I'm already missing my husband." She could no longer hold back the tears that coursed down her cheeks like twin rivers refusing to stop.

"Come here love," he pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight. "I'm going to miss you too, Jael. It'll be no time before I'm back here with you."

She snuggled closer to him, remembering each moment of warmth between them as she held onto him with all the strength she still possessed. Her heart hurt with the thoughts of what could possibly go wrong between them, and with him overseas.

"Stop worrying." he whispered, stroking her back gently.

"It's kind of hard to just stop worrying." she wiped at her eyes quickly, kissing him gently. "I'll try for you though."

"Good." he smiled at her and kissed her again, "Now I've got a plane to catch, and you have two kids to get home to." he stood her up with him and pulled her close once more for a hug. "Give the babies kisses for me."

"I will" Jael nodded, and kissed his cheek. "You come home safe to us."

"Of course." he winked and turned away walking toward the terminal.

Turning her head toward the ceiling, Jael whispered a silent prayer for her husband's safety and quick return. Sighing, she resolved herself to go back home and take care of Khalil and Eliana. It'd be a long year without him.

Jael walked in the door and set her suitcase and purse just inside the foyer as she collected herself to deal with an apartment full of people. Really, all she wanted to do was run back to the airport and beg Elisha not to leave. Instead, she took a deep breath and walked into the kitchen where everyone was congregated eating breakfast. "Good morning everyone," she called out, pulling every last bit of pep she could out of the caverns of her soul.

"Hey, how are you?" asked Cami, wrapping an arm around Jael's shoulders.

"I'll be okay, eventually. How were they?" she asked, wiping off Eliana's mouth and picking up the chubby little girl who held her arms out to mommy. Snuggling the darling little girl close.

"Angels as always." replied her mother, wiping off Khalil's mouth before he went running to Jael.

"Daddy?" whimpered the little boy, sticking a thumb in his mouth.

Handing Eliana off to Cambria, Jael knelt before her adopted son, "Baby, Daddy had to go away for a little while, he'll be back to see us. He's going to call you tonight." She pulled the whimpering boy into her arms and hugged him close. She'd known that when she and Elisha had explained it to Khalil he didn't understand, of course what two-year-old did? In fact, did she even understand why they had to give him up for months at a time? No, not really, she conceded.

"Do we want to go to the park?" asked Ezra, resting his hand on Khalil's head.

"YES!" Khalil exclaimed, hugging Ezra's knees.

"Can Eliana go too?" Cami asked, rubbing the little girl's cheek.

Jael nodded, "I'm going to come too. I can't sit here alone all day...I'll get them ready, can you grab my camera bag?"

Cami laughed, "Of course."

--

Cami sat next to her sister on the bench. Jael was feeding Eliana and Ezra was playing with Khalil.

"How's it going, sister?" She asked knowing her sister must've been having a hard time. Her husband had left her with two kids for a year. Cami couldn't imagine having to go through that. Even now with her and Ezra going out for a week. If he left and she couldn't see him for a year she'd go insane.

"I'll be fine. I've done this before." Jael said.

"Yeah, you have. You're stronger than anyone I've ever met." she smiled at her sister and hugged her with one arm.

"Thanks. I just want to be sure to be there for the kids. Especially Khalil, he hasn't experienced this long of a time period without Elisha before." Jael sighed, and pointed her camera at Khalil who was smiling as he slid down the sliding board.

"He'll be fine. We'll make sure of that. You have all of us too, don't try to do it all on your own, Jae." Cami took over feeding Eliana for her sister.

"I'm so glad I do have all of you to help out, but I also don't want to be a burden. They are my kids after all." she took a quick picture of her sister and daughter.

"Yeah, but if we can help we want to. It's the least we can do to make it easier for you, Jael. That's what family does." she stated after the picture was taken.

Jael's cell phone began to ring in her pocket, "Thanks C, I'll be right back, I've got to get this it's probably Elisha." She retrieved her phone from her pocket and walked away from the bench talking.

"Hey! You gonna' sit over there and think all day or come play?" called Ezra from the playground.

Cambria laughed, "We're coming!" She picked Eliana up from her stroller and ran toward the playground.

--

Jael listened to her husband's voice on the phone with a smile on her face, "I miss you." she said with a sigh.

"I miss you more. I miss the kids too. How are they?"

"Khalil started to get upset when I came home without you today, we're at the park now trying to keep him busy."

"Poor little guy, let me talk to him for a minute?" his voice held concern and love for their son.

She smiled, "Sure, hold on a minute." she walked over to the playground, "Lil K! Daddy's on the phone."

Khalil raced to her, tiny chubby legs churning the distance between them. "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" he exclaimed over and over until he reached her. Jael sat on the steps leading to the sliding board and held the phone against her son's chubby cheek.

"Hi Daddy!" he exclaimed again as he held the phone with one small hand.

Jael could hear the rumble of Elisha's laugh and his mumbled words to Khalil. Tears burned the backs of her eyes as she heard much of the one-sided conversation between the two most important men in her life. They were sorely going to miss the influence of Elisha in their lives over the next year.

"Miss you, Daddy." whimped Khalil, his bottom lip puckering.

Her tears threatened to fall, and she rubbed at her eyes as Khalil said his goodbye and hasty "lub you." She took the phone from his chubby hand and sighed her resolve. "Elisha?"

He chuckled, "That boy is off on the sliding board right now, isn't he?"

Jael found herself laughing as well, "You know your son."

"Of course, I know you too. Stop crying, love. I'll be home before you know it. Kiss the baby for me, and make sure you send an email tonight in case I can't get to the phone. I love you."

She smiled, "I love you too, Elisha. Talk to you later baby."

Closing the phone, she turned back to see her sister standing with a whimpering Eliana. "What's wrong with my baby girl?" she stood, pocketing her phone and held her arms out to her daughter.

The little girl jumped into her arms and snuggled into her chest.

"Elli is tired." Cambria said with an exaggerated pout.

"How about if I take them home and you take the picnic basket I packed in the backseat of the car. Have a picnic with your man." she said with a wink.

"You are a sly one, sister." her sister accused.

"Yeah, but you love me!" she exclaimed calling for Khalil and buckling both children into the double stroller. It was the least she could do to help her sister and Ezra get enough time together. She knew what it was like to have to be away from the person you loved for a length of time, they needed as much time together as they could get. End of discussion.