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All Chapters of Decisions I made : Chapter 271 - Chapter 280

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The Days After

The morning after her surgery, Lela woke to the sound of someone quietly opening the blinds. For a moment she didn't know where she was. The room was filled with pale morning light, the machines beside her bed were making their steady beeping sounds, and her leg felt heavier than it had in weeks. Then the memories returned all at once—the hospital, Dr. Adelman, the surgery, Jack's voice through the phone. She turned her head and saw her brother's girlfriend sitting in the chair beside her with two cups of coffee balanced carefully in her hands. “Good morning,” she whispered. Lela groaned. “If you say that too cheerfully, I'm going to throw something at you.” Her companion laughed. “There's the Lela I know.” She handed her a cup. “Coffee?” “Please.” Lela took it with both hands and carefully sipped. “How long have you been awake?” “A couple hours.” “Why?” “Because you snore.” Lela's eyes widened. “I do not.” “You absolutely do.” “Lies.” “Medical fact.” Lela laughed, then immediately wi

The Orders

Lela stared at the screen, the smile that had been on her face only seconds earlier completely gone. “What do you mean they may change how soon you can come home?” she asked. Jack didn't answer immediately. He lowered himself into the chair beside the little table and rubbed both hands over his face. “I don't know everything yet.” “Jack.” “I know.” “Don't say you don't know everything. Tell me what you do know.” He looked directly into the camera. “Our schedule changed.” Lela's stomach tightened. “Changed how?” “There are some operational requirements that weren't on the original schedule.” “What does that mean?” “It means some people may have their rotations extended.” Lela's face went pale. “Extended?” “Possibly.” “For how long?” “I don't know.” “A week?” “Maybe.” “A month?” Jack hesitated. “Possibly.” Lela looked down at the photograph in her hand. The words WE ARE WAITING suddenly seemed painfully ironic. “You told me a year.” “I know.” “You told me you would be gone a year.” “Tha

One More Step

The next morning, Lela woke before the alarm and immediately knew something was different. The pain was still there, her leg was still weak, and the first movement sent a dull ache through her hip and down toward her knee, but underneath all of it was something she hadn't felt since the surgery: determination without panic. She didn't know how long it would take to recover again. She didn't know whether the new surgery would delay her progress by weeks or months. She didn't know when Jack would actually be allowed to come home from Korea. But for the first time, she stopped trying to solve every problem at once. She looked at the bracelet on her wrist and whispered, “One step.” Lily was still asleep in the room across the hall, her little stuffed rabbit tucked beneath one arm, and the house was unusually quiet. Lela reached for her phone and saw that Jack had sent a message several hours earlier. Good morning, beautiful. One day closer. She smiled and typed back. One step closer. The

I'm Coming Home

The phone call came just after four in the afternoon. Lela had been sitting in the living room with Cathy, watching Lily play with her stuffed rabbit while Captain Rhoden's latest instructions sat open on the coffee table. Lela had spent the entire morning trying to convince herself that she hadn't imagined the progress she was making. One step had become three. Three had become five with the walker. It wasn't much compared with where she had been before the surgery, but it was enough to make her believe she could get there again. Cathy had been beside her for every attempt, refusing to let Lela push past what her body could handle. “Five steps is enough for today,” Cathy had told her earlier. Lela had argued that she could do ten. Cathy had simply raised an eyebrow and said, “And that's exactly why I'm in charge.” Lela had laughed and surrendered. Now, as Lily crawled across the floor after her rabbit, Lela's phone began ringing. She looked at the screen and immediately recognized th

Homecoming

The night before Jack came home, Lela barely slept. She tried everything. She watched television, read a book, checked on Lily, checked her phone, and finally crawled back into bed only to stare at the ceiling. Every time she closed her eyes, she pictured the airport. She pictured Jack walking through the doors with his bag over his shoulder. She pictured Lily running toward him. She pictured herself standing there, somehow managing to stay upright long enough to wrap her arms around him. But every time the image reached that part, fear crept in. What if her leg wasn't ready? What if the pain was too much? What if she couldn't stand? What if she had built the moment up so much that reality couldn't possibly live up to it? Around two in the morning, Cathy walked past her bedroom and stopped when she saw the light. “You're still awake?” Lela looked at her. “Tomorrow.” Cathy smiled. “I know.” “He's really coming.” “I know.” “I don't think I believe it yet.” Cathy walked into the room and

Nine Days

The first night Jack was home, Lela didn't want to sleep. She knew the clock was already working against them. Nine days sounded like a lot when Jack had first told her he was coming home, but now that he was actually sitting beside her on the couch, nine days felt impossibly small. She kept looking at him as though she needed to memorize every detail—the way his hair had grown slightly longer, the small lines around his eyes, the way he held Lily against his chest while she slept, the familiar sound of his laugh. She had spent months imagining this moment, and now that it was finally real, she was terrified of wasting even a second. Jack noticed her staring. “What?” he asked softly. “Nothing.” “You've been looking at me for five minutes.” “I'm making sure you're real.” He smiled. “I'm real.” She reached over and touched his face. “You're really here.” “I'm really here.” She leaned against him, careful of her leg, and finally allowed herself to breathe. Jack wrapped an arm around her

Seven Days

The next morning, Lela woke with a strange sense of urgency. Seven days. She kept repeating the number in her head as she lay beside Jack, watching him sleep. Seven days until he had to leave again. Seven mornings. Seven nights. Seven chances to make memories that would have to carry them through however long the next separation lasted. She hated thinking that way, because it made every ordinary moment feel like a countdown, but she couldn't stop herself. Jack had one arm resting across her waist, and for the first time in months she could hear his breathing beside her instead of through a phone speaker. She reached over and gently touched his hand. His eyes opened. “What are you doing?” he mumbled. “Looking at you.” “Creepy.” She laughed softly. “I missed you.” He pulled her closer. “I'm here.” “For seven days.” His expression changed. “Don't start counting.” “I'm already counting.” “Then count the moments instead.” She rested her head against his chest. “Okay.” He kissed her forehea

The Call

The phone rang at seven in the morning, long before anyone else was fully awake. Lela was lying beside Jack, still half asleep, when she heard it. She reached for the phone on the nightstand and glanced at the screen. Dr. Adelman's name immediately woke her. “Why is my doctor calling this early?” she whispered. Jack opened his eyes. “What happened?” “I don't know.” She answered. “Hello?” “Lela, it's Dr. Adelman.” His voice was calm, but something about the timing made her sit upright. “Hi, Doctor. Is everything okay?” “I wanted to speak with you before you came in for your next appointment.” Lela's heart began beating faster. “About my leg?” “Yes.” Jack was fully awake now, watching her face. “What is it?” Dr. Adelman paused. “Your latest imaging looks better than we expected.” Lela blinked. “Better?” “Much better. The repair is holding. The bone is showing signs of healing, and there's less inflammation than we anticipated.” Lela's eyes immediately filled with tears. “What does that

The Message

The next morning started peacefully, almost too peacefully. Lily had crawled into bed sometime before sunrise, and when Lela opened her eyes, she found her daughter sleeping between her and Jack with one tiny hand resting on Jack's chest. Jack was awake, staring down at Lily with a smile on his face. “She just climbed in here,” he whispered. “She does that.” “I missed this.” Lela smiled. “I know.” Jack leaned over and kissed her forehead before carefully getting out of bed. “I'm going to take a shower.” “Okay.” He grabbed a clean uniform from the chair and disappeared into the bathroom. A few seconds later, Lela heard the shower start. She smiled and reached for her phone, intending to check the time. Then Jack's phone buzzed on the nightstand.She glanced at it without thinking.The screen lit up.There was a message from a woman's name Lela didn't recognize.At first, she wasn't going to look.Then another notification appeared.Lela's eyes landed on the words before she could stop

The Fight

The room was completely silent except for the faint hum of the air conditioner and the soft breathing of Lily in the room down the hall. Jack was still asleep beside Lela when the phone buzzed again. The screen illuminated the darkness for only a few seconds, but it was long enough for Lela to read the message. I can't wait until you're back. Her stomach twisted. She stared at the phone, then at Jack. For weeks she had tried to trust him. She had tried to accept his explanations about Korea, the parties, the women around him, and the strange messages. She had told herself that she needed facts before she accused the man she loved of something he might not have done. But now she couldn't keep swallowing the questions. She reached over and picked up the phone. She didn't unlock it. She didn't read anything beyond the notification. She simply held it out toward him. “Who is she?” Jack's eyes opened immediately. For several seconds he looked confused. Then he saw the phone in her hand. Hi

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