When First They Met Read Free Page A

had changed with me, although I didn’t mention meeting Paul. Not to anyone; at least not right away. I kept that to myself for a long time. It wasn’t a secret I intentionally withheld from those closest to me. If asked I couldn’t have explained why I didn’t want to share that I’d finally found the man I could and would love for the rest of my life.
    The weeks at Fort Lewis passed so quickly it seemed like they evaporated. The days flew by with such speed that I needed to hold my breath in order to keep up. We were together at every opportunity. I loved Paul’s dry sense of humor. His wit often caught me by surprise, and his wisdom, too. He often spoke of the men in his charge. He felt responsible for each one and carried the weight of his duty well.

    His orders took him to Germany, but we both knew he would eventually land in Afghanistan. After he left the area, we kept in touch in every way imaginable. We talked on the phone, emailed, Skyped, wrote letters. I lived for word from him.
    In November, Paul managed to get leave and flew to Seattle for the holidays. By now my parents had heard all about him. Paul and I drove to Spokane to spend Thanksgiving with my family.
    “This is the one, isn’t it?” my mother said, the moment the two of us were alone in the family kitchen.
    I didn’t even need to think. “Oh, yes.”
    “I like him already.”
    “So do I,” my father said, coming into the kitchen. Paul was in the other room, chatting with my brother, Todd. Soon my aunts and uncles would arrive and the house would be filled toan overflowing capacity. Mom planned on twenty-five for Thanksgiving dinner. “If you don’t marry this man then all I can say is that you aren’t nearly half as smart as I give you credit for.”
    “I’ll wait for him to do the asking,” I said. By then I knew I loved Paul and I knew he loved me, but his future, and consequently our relationship, remained unpredictable.
    “If Paul did ask you to marry him, what would you say?”
    “Yes.” I didn’t even need to think about my response.
    “What about your position with the bank?” my father pressed.
    My dad and I had often discussed my career. Dad was quick to give me advice and I always welcomed his input. He knew how hard I worked; the long hours I put in and how important my job at the bank was for me. The long-term goal was to be named manager, and if I proved myself in that position, to go on to upper management.
    Again I didn’t hesitate. “If Paul asked me to marry him—and that meant I had to move as a result—I’d give it all up in a heartbeat.”
    My father hugged me then and I could see how happy he was for me.
    Thanksgiving dinner was crazy, with several of my aunts and uncles attending. The cousins who gathered around the table ranged in age from eight to thirty. I loved watching Paul with my family and was amazed at how quickly he caught on to everyone’s names.
    After dinner, Paul, my brother, and several others went outside to play football. Dad went with them. Apparently the televised games that day had inspired them to have a competition of their own. After the dishes were all finished, I went outside to watch with Todd’s wife, Mary Lou.
    Paul played quarterback and stepped back to shoot the football to my cousin Billy when my brother broke through the defensive line and tackled him. Even from the sidelines I heard Paul go down. He hit hard, with Todd landing on top of him.
    I gasped and covered my mouth with my gloved hand, and then before I could stop myself I raced onto the field. Todd stood over Paul and had extended his hand in order to help him up.
    I shoved Todd out of the way and fell to my knees next to Paul on the ground. He’d had the wind knocked out of him and had raised his knees and was kicking the ground.
    “Paul, Paul, what can I do?”
    He shook his head, indicating there was nothing. It would pass in a few minutes. At that moment, I was ready to slam my brother to the ground. By