Boarding Pass

I know now that I have made a big mistake. I should have listened to my inner voice and just turned around. How could I forget what kind of a man he is? I guess the sudden loneliness without my best friend and my boyfriend, has clouded my judgment and all the hatred that I had towards them for months, was just too much for me to just keep on hating for so long.

But I am not the same vulnerable girl as he used to know. The navy sent me for training before I even got the chance to apply for deployment and I have picked up one or two things while I was there.

"No, no, no! I am sorry, George, but I can not be here right now"

He grabs me by the arm when I turn around.

"What do you mean darling? We are going to have some fun"

I lift an eyebrow as a response to his remark.

"Fun? Who is going to have fun me or you?"

"What do you mean? We always had a lot of fun when we were together?"

"You mean to say that you had fun slapping me around when you had too much to drink"

He laughs out of his stomach as if I have just told him a very funny joke. There is no smile on my face for I remember everything very clearly. As I recall, I had fun in our relationship. I remember how much I wanted to change him and hoped that he would change but he never did and it looks like he never will.

"Oh, come on, darling, do not be such a downer"

His grip on my arm tightens and he pulls me closer towards him. This move was probably one of the first things that I learned while in training with the Navy. I distract him with my other hand, by punching him in the side and he releases my arm. Shock and horror is something that is written all over his face. He can not believe what I just did.

"Whoa! What was that? You hurt me!"

I step a few safe steps away from him and then I laugh.

"I guess it is time that you feel some kind of hurt too! Do not try and follow me and stay out of my life"

Just before I turn around and walk away I see the expression on his face and all I can say is, it is priceless. After months and months of being treated badly, I finally got my revenge. It is true what they say revenge is sweet.

But just as I walk out of the coffee shop and think I am clear from him. I hear the door swinging open. I look behind me and a fear fills my heart as I see George walking out of the coffee shop.

"You have not heard the last of me, I promise you that!"

I do not want to stick around to see the end of this conversation and I start to run. I run as fast as I can because I know what he is capable of if he gets hold of me.

I finally get home and go straight to my bedroom. I locked the door behind me. Still feeling the fear that he put into my heart. I am angry with myself because I put myself in this situation. I should learn to pick the right men in my life.

The week passes by very quickly. I spend a day with my dad at his company and a day with Jack. Not forgetting doing some retail therapy with Maggie and of course, had some encouraging words from Harriet.

Then the day finally arrives where my family sees me off at the train station. It is a bittersweet goodbye. On the one hand, I want to stay here with my family and on the other hand, it feels like I was meant to be in the Navy. The training that I did for about six months beforehand really gave me an idea of what I should expect on the ship. Just to have been with fellow medical staff and soldiers, really make me want to be in the Navy.

As I get on the train and wave my last goodbye, I feel a tear running down my cheek. I will miss my family dearly and I am sure they will miss me too. I want to make them proud of me and I want them to know that I can do this.

I finally arrive at the gathering point for all the soldiers, medical staff, and all other departments, that will be going on the ship. I did not really have time during training to make friends with everyone but I did get to know one nurse, that was really nice to me. I look around and see if I can not find her while dragging my luggage behind me.

"Dr. Micheals!"

I turn around and I see the friendly face of Ashley.

"You are here"

"I am here. We made it!"

"I must say I am excited and extremely nervous and you?"

"I am very nervous. I do not know exactly what to expect but I am also very happy to be here"

Then a soldier appears before the group. He gets the attention of the group. He looks like someone that has been on this ship for quite some time as he knows exactly what to do and as if he had done this speech a million times before.

"To every new recruit, welcome. To some of you that came back for your second, third, or fourth tour, welcome back. This will be a journey that you will not forget. Now, get your luggage and the soldiers on my right will take you to your quarters"

I look to his right and I see all the different uniforms from every department. I also see the medical department and then we follow that soldier. In my training, we had a simulator of how the ship would look like on the inside. But it does not compare to the real thing.

We walk through the ship until we get to our quarters. Luckily, our quarters are next to each other. We settle in and then get orders to meet up on the deck.

We all make our way to the deck. When we get there we stand in our ranks. This must be something big because you only have to stand in your ranks when someone very important is going to address you. You hear the soldier shouts and you know you should salute.

Then the Captain appears on the upper deck overlooking the entire crew. He looks over the people and then starts to talk.

"My fellow sailors, welcome aboard. I am your Captain, Zac Brown..."

Now I have seen a few men in uniform but when I saw the captain walking up to the upper deck he took my breath away. I have never seen anyone with such piercing green eyes and his voice sounds like something you want to hear every day.