Un-betad

Characters aren't mine, that is all.

Word Prompt: Road

Of all the places we could have been sent to live, I'd never understand why we got stuck in the middle of nowhere Kentucky meets Tennessee meets 'What State am I in now?' Literally, the place sat on both states line and just going from one side to the other should have a sign that reads: 'Welcome to Tennessee, you are now leaving Kentucky, come back soon…ya know, like when you drive home later today.'

The surrounding towns weren't horrible, but there simply wasn't much to do, especially when my mom harped on me constantly about being more social. The truth was, I liked to read, so I did…a lot. After school, I'd take a drive to the park, sit down, and read. Words were comfort, especially in a family where things changed all the time. At eighteen, I've seen ten different schools, nine states, one other country, and a handful of times where it was just me and my mom.

My dad was a Cornel in the Army, which is exactly how we found ourselves at Fort Campbell, Kentucky; home to the 101st Screaming Eagles. You couldn't really miss that point given the copious amounts of signs that lined the roads on and off the post.

The reality was, I was just biding my time until college. I had plans to attend Dartmouth and work my way through an English degree so that I could teach. I loved children, but I didn't want to work in an elementary school. I saw myself in high school, and maybe even college. What I didn't see was becoming my mom.

I had a strong love for my father and for my country. I sat through countless deployments, field trainings, and missions away. I knew what holidays were like with and without my family complete, and I knew that wasn't what I wanted. One day, I did want to be married with children of my own, but I wanted stability. In fact, I craved stability. Most Army brats become Army wives, and that just wasn't for me.

Of course, that all changed one freezing winter day in January. I saw him walking on the side of the road as I made my way to school. His head was down, though I could read the back of his patrol cap, even though he walked quickly. I knew he was a soldier on a mission getting from point A to B though I had no idea why he didn't own a car. Fort Campbell was huge, and it wasn't always easy to walk because of the size, yet, every day for the past month I've seen him walking, always at the same time.

The weather outside was frigid, the snow was starting to come down hard, and I knew by the time I got to school class would be cancelled. Before Fort Campbell, we were in Alaska so the snow didn't bother me, but the good people of Kentucky and Tennessee would treat it like a national emergency. In fact, snow plows were replaced by tractors, but I knew my vehicle could handle just about anything. It was why my dad got it for me. This storm had literally come out of nowhere this morning, and when I saw the temperature in my SUV read twenty-two degrees I knew what needed to be done.

So, with my hazard lights on, I pulled over and waited for you to catch up. I rolled my window down and watched you move closer through my side mirror. I put my heater on full blast and adjusted the heat to the passenger seat. I was sure he was frozen, because only a few seconds of the window down and I was shivering. When he had to take a large step around to get past my SUV I felt bad because hestepped into a heavy amount of snow as a result.

"Hey," I hollered once he got close enough to hear. "Come here."

He leaned towards me with an unreadable expression. However, it gave me the ability to finally see his face. My breath was blown away by his beauty, but I knew I called him over for a purpose as the wind blew into my car and made me shake again.

"Do you need a ride?" I asked as I hit the un-lock button on the passenger side door.

So, I'm a bad liar? I'm not sure...I technically had three WitFits in my e-mail, one went to end Thrifty, and next in line for my new story...it came out faster than I expected it too. Again, it'll be short-ish and sweet, I'll update multiple times a week...hopefully you like it. Like Thrifty, it's a storyline I've had for a while with no way to get out...well, this is how I'll get it out and on paper.

And, for those who live in and around Fort Campbell, I mean no disrespect. This was our first base, and seeing tractors plow snow was a serious culture shock when you move from Florida. It was a lovely base, and we'd like to go back one day. Like my husband will say, once a 101st Solider, always a 101st Soldier! Hooah!