Short story

“Okay stay calm, stay calm, stay calm,” Amanda kept repeating to herself as she waited amongst all the other families in the room. Clutching her “Welcome Home Bravo Company” banner and a 2-month old baby boy, she could barely contain herself. The atmosphere was filled with raw emotions of anticipation and utter excitement. “Haden your daddy will be here soon”, Amanda says with a giddy laugh. Swaddled in a blue fleece blanket, Haden just lay against his mother’s chest, listening to the stampede of her heart as he napped.

“Is this the first time your husband has been deployed ,” quipped a freckle-faced woman, standing just beside Amanda, who nervously clutched the hand of an impatient 5 year –old little girl. “Yeah I am so nervous I can hardly contain myself”, Amanda said. Amanda turned slightly to find herself face to face with a woman who was a spitting resemblance to Lucille Ball, all except for the freckles. She had the same flaming red hair and impeccable cheekbones. “Lucy I’m home”, echoed through Amanda’s mind as she stared into her intense blue eyes. She was in such disbelief that all of her senses seemed to come to a grinding halt. “My name is Elizabeth by the way,” she heard as she snapped back to reality. “This is the second time that little Katie and I have watched her daddy be shipped overseas since she was 2 years old. Thankfully this is his twentieth year of service and he is retiring next week”, she continued. “My name is Amanda, and this little bundle is Haden. He will be seeing his daddy for the first time,” Amanda stammered as she tried to continue into the conversation. All the while, Amanda incessantly stared at Elizabeth, quite to Elizabeth’s discomfort. “Are you alright hon,” asked Elizabeth, who at this point was quite blushed. “Oh I am so sorry Elizabeth, it’s just…...” Amanda said with a sense of hesitancy. “Has anyone ever told you that you look just like…,” by now Amanda was biting her lower lip, “Lucille Ball,” she blurted out. “You know I get that a lot and I just don’t see it,” said Elizabeth. Now that the never ending urge to tell Elizabeth about her uncanny resemblance to Lucille Ball had been quenched, she found herself more at ease in the conversation.

“You know Robert and I, that’s my husband whose arrival we are awaiting, used to sit around on our old beat-up microfiber sofa, that we had since we got married 6 years ago, and watch old episodes of I Love Lucy, eating popcorn and laughing at the high jinks and mishaps that Lucy continued to get into,” said Amanda with a chuckle. “He was my Ricky and I was his Lucy,” she continued with that far off look in her eye. “He would come home from work and yell “Lucy I’m Home”, and I would say “Awww Ricky”, she continued by this time laughing hysterically. She had to contain her laughter because she noticed Haden beginning to shift from her abrupt motions.
“You two seemed to have a pretty fun filled relationship,” said Elizabeth. “Yeah we are two big kids,” replied Amanda. “Edward and I are the same way, and I am so glad that after 20 years of being an Army wife, that I will finally have him home all time,” Elizabeth replied with sigh of relief. “We still have 9 more years to go,” sighed Amanda. “This never gets easier does it?” “Nope,” replied Elizabeth, “But your love for one another forms and unbreakable bond, that’s what gets us wives through.”


Not knowing how long it would be before their husbands’ arrival, Amanda and Elizabeth made their way to the rear of the capacity filled room and found three small chairs tucked off in a corner near the exit. Haden was still fast asleep and Katie getting more and more anxious by the moment. As the two ladies sat and talked, Amanda cradling Haden and Katie still hand in hand with Elizabeth, the chatter of the many awaiting relatives grew louder and louder -so much so that they almost had to leave the room to hear themselves speak.Suddenly Katie jumped up and said “Mommy let’s play duck, duck, goose.” “Honey mommy is tired right now, we can play when daddy gets home,” said Elizabeth. Katie was completely oblivious to what her mother said and was already circling the chairs like a honey bee circles a flower. “Duck, duck, duck, duck, duck.....goose,” Katie let out with a squeal and began running even though no one was chasing her.

With all the commotion going on in the they barely heard the military cargo plane touchdown on the tarmac outside. “Katie, Katie, Katie,” Elizabeth called out to her daughter as she watched her do donuts around the tables and chairs, her cute sandy brown curls and frilly dress flouncing to and fro, “Honey please sit down before you hurt yourself.” “Just let her run, my niece does that all the time,” Amanda chimed in, “she will tire herself out in no time.” As they continued to watch as Katie ran around the table, squealing at the top of her lungs, they barely noticed families reuniting with their loved ones who by that time had started filing into the room. “You know I can’t wait for Haden to be that age so he and Robert can have that rough and tumble play time,” Amanda said. “I can’t wait for Robert to come home, I miss his jet black hair and that Spanish accent that I fell in love with, when we met during a missions trip our senior year of college.”


As she was speaking Robert walked up quietly behind Amanda who was oblivious to his presence. Katie, who had been running nonstop around the tables and chairs, stopped abruptly and stared at this “stranger” who had walked up. Robert placed his index finger over his lips as if to tell Katie “shhh it’s a secret”. Elizabeth, not wanting to spoil the surprise leaned in and said, “Tell me more.” “He was so handsome and funny and did I say handsome,” Amanda said blushing. “Oh I can’t wait until he gets home just so I can hear him say…..” “Lucy I’m home”, Robert chimed in. Amanda spun around in utter shock and tears began to run down her face and she said, “Awww Ricky.”