Post by Lightningstar on Jul 24, 2008 19:24:42 GMT -5
Title: When Is Daddy Coming Home?
Author: Lightningstar
Pairing: None
Summary: When a loving father goes off to war, his little girl constantly asks her mother, "When is Daddy coming home?"
Editor: None
Cover: None
Author's Notes: Just a sweet little concept I wanted to write about; a family with a father serving in the war. I myself have never experienced this, though I am told that my grandfather served in the Navy a long time ago. But that doesn't count. xD Hope you enjoy the story.
"Mommy?"
"Yes, Annabelle?"
"When is Daddy coming home?"
"I don't know, honey. Just be patient."
Conversations around the Parker home were similar to this most of the time. It had all started when Jacob L. Parker, husband to Mary R. Parker and father to Annabelle K. Parker, left for war almost a month ago. Mary and Jacob hadn't really expected their little girl to understand the concept of war, and she didn't.
Before Jacob left for the war, everything seemed normal. Every day, when he came home from work at 6:00, Jacob would open his arms to greet his 7-year-old daughter, and she would run up to him, enveloping him in a caring hug that only a 7-year-old could manage. Dinners would be eaten together, whether it was cooked at home or whether it was simply Chinese take-out. When Annabelle's bedtime came, her father would always read her a bedtime story, ruffle her hair, and say, "sweet dreams, pumpkin."
Things were different now. For a whole month, the house seemed nearly empty without Jacob's warmth and humor there. Every night at 6:00, Annabelle would wait by the door in hopes that her father would magically come through it, but he never did. Dinners were eaten quickly in complete silence before Annabelle retreated to her room.
On one particular lonely April night, mother and daughter blankly chewed on spaghetti and meatballs, neither daring to speak a word. Finally, Annabelle put down her fork and looked over at her mother. "Mommy, is it okay to be ashamed of something?"
"What would you have to be ashamed of?" Mary questioned her daughter, also putting down her fork. "Go ahead, sweetie, tell me anything."
"Well, today at school, some kids were teasing me," Annabelle muttered. "They asked me why I would always go off by myself and just read at recess instead of playing games with them."
Mary raised an eyebrow and frowned. "What did you tell them?"
Annabelle bowed her head. "Nothing, Mommy. I wasn't brave enough to tell them that Daddy's not home anymore." Even with her head down, Mary could see tears forming in the little girl's eyes.
"Oh, sweetie," she cooed, "you know that Daddy needed to help some people. He didn't leave because he wanted to."
"I know," Annabelle sniffed. "It's just so hard sometimes, now that he's gone." She leaned against her mother's shoulder and felt gentle arms wrap around her protectively. "Mommy, when is Daddy coming home?"
Mary sighed. "I don't know, honey," she replied out of habit. "Just be patient."
"I'm tired of being patient," Annabelle sobbed. Tears were now flowing down her face. "I just want Daddy to come home!"
"I do too," Mary comforted her daughter, "but for now, there's just us."
A peaceful silence reigned over the dining room. The only audible sound was Annabelle's soft sobs and the comforting murmurs of her mother. At last, Annabelle spoke. "Mommy, what if Daddy never comes home?"
Mary wanted to say a multitude of things to Annabelle. That will never happen. Of course your dad will come home safe. In fact, he'll be home soon. But who would want to lie to their daughter on a subject like this? "Then life goes on."
"You must be really brave, Mommy," Annabelle pointed out. "You're always so calm."
"Believe me, though I may be calm on the outside, my insides are very worried," Mary assured her daughter.
Annabelle smiled slightly. "Now we just need to wait for Daddy."
"Yes, sweetie, we do."
It had been over a year since Jacob had left for war. Annabelle and Mary had struggled to keep up with their lives, still mourning over his absence from their home. One warm August evening, the evening before Annabelle's 8th birthday, Mary was delighted to find a letter in the mail that had the official Army seal printed on it. She sat down on the front step and tore open the envelope, ready to read all about her husband and how he was doing.
She nearly dropped the paper, and tears made the ink bleed a little with every word that she read. The porch light illuminated the flowing script that most definitely was not Jacob's. Mary got up, wiped away her tears with her wrist, and retreated into the house. She made her way up the stairs to Annabelle's room, where she was waiting to be tucked in.
"Is that from Daddy?" Annabelle asked as her mother came through the door. Mary sat down on the edge of the bed and motioned for Annabelle to sit next to her. "Just listen," she instructed. She took in a deep breath and began.
"'Dear Ms. Mary Rose Parker,
For a year now, you have probably been yearning for your husband's safe return. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee this. Just a couple of nights ago, a firebomb exploded in one of our soldier's compounds. Your husband, refusing to leave anyone behind, went inside to retrieve anyone trapped inside. In the process, he got several major burns and suffered from smoke inhalation. He also fell and broke several ribs, as well as losing sight in both eyes and hearing in both ears. Though he is still in the hospital, he is slowly dying and we are afraid that his time on this world is over.
We are sorry for your loss. The many people he saved are all safe and sound. They are grateful for the life of your husband, and they will all be attending the funeral service for him held at your home church along with the rest of the force. I hope you will accept them there so that they may honor their companion.
All condolences, and may God be with you.
Sincerly, Captain Robert Lee Jackson.'"
Annabelle looked up at her mother. "Does that mean that Daddy isn't coming home?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.
"Yes," replied Mary. "But you know what happens now, right?"
"Life goes on," Annabelle said, a smile spreading onto her face.
"Exactly." Mary got up and tucked Annabelle into bed. She turned out the lights and ruffled her young daughter's hair. "Sweet dreams, pumpkin."
Author: Lightningstar
Pairing: None
Summary: When a loving father goes off to war, his little girl constantly asks her mother, "When is Daddy coming home?"
Editor: None
Cover: None
Author's Notes: Just a sweet little concept I wanted to write about; a family with a father serving in the war. I myself have never experienced this, though I am told that my grandfather served in the Navy a long time ago. But that doesn't count. xD Hope you enjoy the story.
"Mommy?"
"Yes, Annabelle?"
"When is Daddy coming home?"
"I don't know, honey. Just be patient."
Conversations around the Parker home were similar to this most of the time. It had all started when Jacob L. Parker, husband to Mary R. Parker and father to Annabelle K. Parker, left for war almost a month ago. Mary and Jacob hadn't really expected their little girl to understand the concept of war, and she didn't.
Before Jacob left for the war, everything seemed normal. Every day, when he came home from work at 6:00, Jacob would open his arms to greet his 7-year-old daughter, and she would run up to him, enveloping him in a caring hug that only a 7-year-old could manage. Dinners would be eaten together, whether it was cooked at home or whether it was simply Chinese take-out. When Annabelle's bedtime came, her father would always read her a bedtime story, ruffle her hair, and say, "sweet dreams, pumpkin."
Things were different now. For a whole month, the house seemed nearly empty without Jacob's warmth and humor there. Every night at 6:00, Annabelle would wait by the door in hopes that her father would magically come through it, but he never did. Dinners were eaten quickly in complete silence before Annabelle retreated to her room.
On one particular lonely April night, mother and daughter blankly chewed on spaghetti and meatballs, neither daring to speak a word. Finally, Annabelle put down her fork and looked over at her mother. "Mommy, is it okay to be ashamed of something?"
"What would you have to be ashamed of?" Mary questioned her daughter, also putting down her fork. "Go ahead, sweetie, tell me anything."
"Well, today at school, some kids were teasing me," Annabelle muttered. "They asked me why I would always go off by myself and just read at recess instead of playing games with them."
Mary raised an eyebrow and frowned. "What did you tell them?"
Annabelle bowed her head. "Nothing, Mommy. I wasn't brave enough to tell them that Daddy's not home anymore." Even with her head down, Mary could see tears forming in the little girl's eyes.
"Oh, sweetie," she cooed, "you know that Daddy needed to help some people. He didn't leave because he wanted to."
"I know," Annabelle sniffed. "It's just so hard sometimes, now that he's gone." She leaned against her mother's shoulder and felt gentle arms wrap around her protectively. "Mommy, when is Daddy coming home?"
Mary sighed. "I don't know, honey," she replied out of habit. "Just be patient."
"I'm tired of being patient," Annabelle sobbed. Tears were now flowing down her face. "I just want Daddy to come home!"
"I do too," Mary comforted her daughter, "but for now, there's just us."
A peaceful silence reigned over the dining room. The only audible sound was Annabelle's soft sobs and the comforting murmurs of her mother. At last, Annabelle spoke. "Mommy, what if Daddy never comes home?"
Mary wanted to say a multitude of things to Annabelle. That will never happen. Of course your dad will come home safe. In fact, he'll be home soon. But who would want to lie to their daughter on a subject like this? "Then life goes on."
"You must be really brave, Mommy," Annabelle pointed out. "You're always so calm."
"Believe me, though I may be calm on the outside, my insides are very worried," Mary assured her daughter.
Annabelle smiled slightly. "Now we just need to wait for Daddy."
"Yes, sweetie, we do."
***
It had been over a year since Jacob had left for war. Annabelle and Mary had struggled to keep up with their lives, still mourning over his absence from their home. One warm August evening, the evening before Annabelle's 8th birthday, Mary was delighted to find a letter in the mail that had the official Army seal printed on it. She sat down on the front step and tore open the envelope, ready to read all about her husband and how he was doing.
She nearly dropped the paper, and tears made the ink bleed a little with every word that she read. The porch light illuminated the flowing script that most definitely was not Jacob's. Mary got up, wiped away her tears with her wrist, and retreated into the house. She made her way up the stairs to Annabelle's room, where she was waiting to be tucked in.
"Is that from Daddy?" Annabelle asked as her mother came through the door. Mary sat down on the edge of the bed and motioned for Annabelle to sit next to her. "Just listen," she instructed. She took in a deep breath and began.
"'Dear Ms. Mary Rose Parker,
For a year now, you have probably been yearning for your husband's safe return. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee this. Just a couple of nights ago, a firebomb exploded in one of our soldier's compounds. Your husband, refusing to leave anyone behind, went inside to retrieve anyone trapped inside. In the process, he got several major burns and suffered from smoke inhalation. He also fell and broke several ribs, as well as losing sight in both eyes and hearing in both ears. Though he is still in the hospital, he is slowly dying and we are afraid that his time on this world is over.
We are sorry for your loss. The many people he saved are all safe and sound. They are grateful for the life of your husband, and they will all be attending the funeral service for him held at your home church along with the rest of the force. I hope you will accept them there so that they may honor their companion.
All condolences, and may God be with you.
Sincerly, Captain Robert Lee Jackson.'"
Annabelle looked up at her mother. "Does that mean that Daddy isn't coming home?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.
"Yes," replied Mary. "But you know what happens now, right?"
"Life goes on," Annabelle said, a smile spreading onto her face.
"Exactly." Mary got up and tucked Annabelle into bed. She turned out the lights and ruffled her young daughter's hair. "Sweet dreams, pumpkin."
