Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 251 - Chapitre 260

The sun had disappeared hours ago, but Lela hadn't noticed.The television had been on all day.She had stopped watching it after a while because every new image made her stomach twist, but she couldn't bring herself to turn it off. The sound of the reporters filled the house, giving her something to focus on while she waited for the phone to ring.For Jack.For anyone.For some kind of reassurance that the world hadn't completely fallen apart.Lily had been restless all afternoon.She hadn't been herself either.She cried more than usual, refused to settle, and wanted to be held constantly.Lela had spent most of the day holding her.She knew she wasn't supposed to overdo it.She knew what Dr. Adelman had told her.She knew her leg needed rest.But Lily needed her.So Lela had pushed through the pain.She had gotten up with her crutches more times than she should have.She had carried Lily from one room to another.She had bent over to pick up toys.She had climbed back onto the couc

The call came early in the morning.Jack was already at the base when Lela's phone rang. She had been sitting in the living room with her leg elevated, Lily asleep in the bassinet beside her, when she saw Jack's name appear on the screen.She answered immediately."Hey."There was something in his voice that made her sit up straighter."Baby?""Hey.""What's wrong?"Jack was quiet for a moment."I got my orders."Lela's stomach dropped.She already knew what that meant."Where?""Not where you think.""What does that mean?""My unit is deploying."Lela closed her eyes."Oh, God.""But I'm not going with the unit."She opened her eyes."What?""I got different orders.""Where?"Jack took a breath."Korea."The room seemed to go completely silent.Lela stared at the television without seeing it."Korea?""Yes.""For how long?""A year."The phone nearly slipped from her hand."A year?""I know.""No.""Lela—""No."She stood too quickly, grabbing the crutches beside the couch.Pain shot

The next morning, Lela woke to the smell of bacon.For a few seconds, she lay completely still, staring at the ceiling and listening to the sounds coming from downstairs. Cabinet doors opened and closed. Lily made a happy little noise from somewhere nearby. Jack's voice followed, low and amused, and then came the unmistakable sound of something falling onto the kitchen floor."Jack!""I'm fine!"Lela laughed."You better be!""I'm fine!""What did you break?""Nothing!"There was a pause."Jack.""Okay, maybe a plate."Lela shook her head, smiling."How many?""Just one!""That's what you said last time.""This time I mean it."She carefully pushed herself upright, reaching for her crutches. Her leg was still stiff when she moved, and there was a dull ache that seemed to settle into the bones every morning before gradually easing. She hated that feeling. She hated being reminded before her feet even touched the floor that her body was still healing.But today was different.Today she

Three weeks passed before anything changed.For those three weeks, Lela and Jack settled into a strange version of normal. They stopped talking about the four months every day. They still knew the countdown was there, but they refused to let it control them. Instead, they filled their days with small things that suddenly felt important. Jack took Lily for walks in the mornings while Lela worked on her exercises. In the afternoons, Captain Rhoden continued pushing Lela through therapy, carefully increasing what she could do without putting dangerous pressure on her healing leg. In the evenings, the three of them ate dinner together, watched television, argued playfully over what movie to watch, and added another item to the list whenever Lela thought of something they had forgotten.The list had grown from twenty-seven things to forty-three.Jack had started calling it "the never-ending list."Lela called it "our life."And every time he teased her about it, she reminded him that he ha

Lily's first steps changed the entire house.It was as if someone had suddenly turned up the volume on life. Every room seemed louder, brighter, and more alive. Lily had discovered that she could stand without holding onto anything, and once she figured that out, she became determined to do it whenever she had the opportunity. She would pull herself up against the couch, wobble for a few seconds, let go, and then take one or two uncertain steps before landing on her diapered bottom. Every time she fell, she laughed as though falling were the funniest thing in the world.Lela couldn't get enough of it.She sat on the floor beside the couch, her injured leg carefully positioned and her crutches resting against the coffee table."Come here, baby."Lily stood several feet away.She looked at her mother.Then at the space between them.Then back at Lela.Jack sat behind Lily."Come on, sweetheart."Lily smiled.She took one step.Lela's face immediately lit up."Good girl!"Lily took anoth