The Soldier Next Door

Some people just do not seem to know how to knock; now they can be glad they are who they are, for I would have laid my shit down on them in a second. My mood is at an all-time high in complete irritation, mainly with myself for being the wreck I am today. I have not been able to control a single one of my feelings since I woke up this morning.

Well, the biggest reason is that Ana and I have not spoken for nearly a week, so she has gone completely silent, yet I know where she is at least. I can say that I am satisfied to hear that she is staying with the wife of Lewis while they are going through their own little spat. I can only imagine the conversations they are having about the men in their life.

Though I did speak to Anna yesterday, and she assured me that Ana and the baby are okay. It is killing that we are spending so much time together with the closer it starts to get to the birth. I thought for some reason we could live as friends together, but it seems that something like that just simply does not work.

But what is working on me is the persons that decided to break down my door. Now, as I look him in the face, I can honestly say once again how grateful I am to have him back, “Dad, you do know that there is something you call knocking?”

“What?” He only shrugs his shoulders, “It is not like Ana is here and like you are busy having sex.” Then he pauses for a second, “Unless if you decided to do it one last time before…”

“Dad! That is utterly disgusting, and no, there is no woman in my bed.”

From behind him steps my mother; well, she seems a lot more cheerful than my grumpy old dad. But I know the man is just as nervous as I am. Though my mother is far too excited, she has been counting the days since I told her about Ana and me.

So not having to waste another second, she comes to leap herself in my arms, “Oh, Ethan, I am…”

“Mom, don’t start that conversation.” I squeeze her a bit tighter, “I have made my decision with Ana and me, and nobody is going to talk me out of it.”

Well, next comes the voice that has the most reason, “Bro, there is always time to change your mind?”

“Matty, I have had a week to decide about this, and this is what I am going to do.”

Then as he steps only a few steps closer, he comes forward to slap me with the flat of his hands as hard as he possibly can, yet, I only move closer and…

WHAM.

“What the fuck was that for?” He only but stares at me while he rubs the back of his hand in utter frustration.

“For not telling me where she was staying.”

“Hey, the entire goddamn base now that you two are fighting again. Now I have become the one that needs to keep them update.”

I only but frown at him as the thought sets in that the man and his big mouth, “You did not tell everybody?”

“Hey bro, do I look stupid?”

“I am not going to answer that, now; why don’t you make yourself useful and start setting up everything in the back.”

He only but chuckles at me as he walks past, “I hope that you did not cook?”

“Ha!” I burst out in a fit of laughter, “I got someone else to do it. Why the fuck do you think I was reading through all of those goddamn magazines.”

Then from behind the bunch of Hunter’s comes another familiar voice, “Because we all know that you do not know the fuck what you are doing.”Material © NôvelDrama.Org.

“Geez, thank you, Ray. I do appreciate the vote of confidence.” Then I stop for a brief while, “You helped me read all those magazines. So if it is a fuck up, it is your fault as well.”

With that from behind him, next comes Gibbs; now the man seems rather nervous, so I only but sidestep him as he wants to give me a slap on the shoulder. “What has got your knickers in a knot?”

“Hey, I, I still think this thing…”

“Ugh,” I grunt at him as the rest of the room stands in anticipation, waiting for me to answer. So I only take but a deep breath, “Guys, I know what I am doing. Can you stop worrying about Ana and me?”

Now, that said, my mom heads to my room to go and inspect, if I even can call it that, but she needs to give me a nod of approval for if this choice failed, I would be down the road of failure myself before I have even started. Yet after ten agonizing minutes, she comes out crying, now that does not help me at all.

“Mom, does that mean yes or no?”

She only gives me the tightest hug and then smiles, “It means you must get Anna to come.” Then she turns around in goes in full flat order mode. “Do you all know what you should be doing?”

“Well,” Matt stutters. “You have given us all a to-do list. I don’t think I can mess anything up.”

And so does the day start with the Hunter family and friends helping a rather brave and fairly stupid Ethan sit a plan in motion as the sixth day approached with Ana being away. Yes, he realized that he was a complete ass in saying some of the things that he said.

But we will know if I really meant it if this plan does work.

So I start counting the hours…

We have all the men busy shoving around tables into the perfect place that I wish to have them. Not too far and not too close to each other, it will be fairly small, yet it will still be crowded.

After they have got them per my mom’s instructions right where I want them, I watch as Matty and Gibbs stand in total disgust as they are forced to fold napkins that I made them practice to no end. But then, much to my annoyance, my mom goes around and shows them that they are not arranging the table in the correct way. After about a third time of failing, they stop and move on to the next task on their list.

This has Ray, much to the annoyance of his hayfever, arranging white lilies and placing them down on the center of the tables and not forget to leave the biggest ones for the front. After nearly dying, he has them right into place; with only but a nod, he moves on to the next item on my mom’s extensive to-do list.

It has now been two hours, and I am starting to nervously count down the minutes. I find myself wandering through the house, trying not to get an excuse why this is going to fail, then just as I am about to call a halt to the preparations, there is a knock at the door; god, I just hope not…

As I slowly creek the door open, much to my relief, I see that it is Anna; she gives me a hug with nothing but a cheeky smile on her face, “You know that you are crazy, Ethan Hunter.”

With nothing but a stutter and trembling hands, I go to fetch her ‘package’ as it has been come to call, “Have she said anything?”

“No, she said that your name is off-limits.”

“Well, is that not just reassuring.” I stop to catch my breath, then as I continue, Anna places her hand on my shoulder, “Ethan, everything will work out. Your heart is in the right place. Now stop worrying so much; I will see you in two hours?”

“God, Anna, I just hope so. I don’t care if all of this is for nothing; I care that she will say no.”

“She won’t; now let me get out of here; I have a lot to do.”

With that, Anna leaves, and I feel perhaps a lot less stressed since I am only two hours away from knowing my fate. Pushing that aside, I step outside again, and as I see the fairy lights hanging from the trees, I am totally taken aback that we have created the backyard is something that comes from those Cinderella stories.

As I step back into the kitchen, the aromas that attack my senses give me an even firmer confirmation that I am on the right path. My mom has put together the best damn spread any professional can.

So as I hug her for what seems to be the hundredth time, the rest of the men come inside satisfied that they have covered those lists. And my mom only gives me the nod. “Now it is time to get you ready.”