By: Madeline
Scott and I met through a mutual friend in May of 2008. As soon as I saw him, before I even knew his name, I knew that he was the one. We all went out to the bars that night and Scott and I spent the whole time talking and flirting. We were in our own little world. I gave him my phone number and he called me twice that night after getting home from the bars because he couldn’t sleep and wanted to keep talking to me.
The next morning Scott left for Ft. Knox to start active duty. I knew that he was leaving and did not expect the phone calls to continue on for very long but everyday he found time to call me. I started to fall in love with him that summer just because of those phone calls.
Nov. 7, 2008 Scott had leave for veterans day and was able to come back home. That night we hung out again and that was when he asked me to be his girlfriend. Right from the start we had a LDR. I saw Scott on Thanksgiving, Christmas, Spring break and a few other times. I added it up and in the year since we had met we had only physically been in each other’s company 32 days!
That summer Scott asked me to live with him in El Paso, TX. It was a summer that would make or break our relationship. My last weekend in El Paso before summer ended Scott took me to Carlsbad Caverns, NM and proposed to me on top of the mountains.
Nov. 2, 2009 we got married in the courthouse with just family and a few close friends present. Nov. 9, 2009 Scott had to go back to El Paso.
Nov. 18, 2009 Scott deployed to Iraq
12/15/09
Morning
My alarm went off at 8:15. My plan was to get up early and study for my anthropology final but instead I reset the alarm to go off at 9:15. At 9:15 my alarm goes off again. This time I get out of bed and head straight for the shower. I get out of the shower and notice that I have a new voicemail. It’s from Scott.
Missing a phone call from Scott is the worst feeling. I hadn’t been able to talk to Scott in a week and was so mad at myself. If only I would have gotten up at 8:15. Maybe then I would have been able to answer my phone. I spend the next 15 minutes beating myself up over deciding to sleep in. Then I decided that I should probably study since I can’t afford to do bad on this final.
Afternoon
At noon I decide that it’s time to take a break from studying and go write something on Scott’s Facebook wall. It is then that I find out that Scott finally has internet in Iraq. I’m so excited because this means that we can Skype!!! Just as I’m thinking this I get a call on Skype… it’s from Scott!!!! I’m so excited! But Scott has a bad connection and I can’t see him and can hardly hear him. Skype keeps dropping the call. At this time I also need to start getting ready to leave to take my final. I type him a quick goodbye and tell him how much I love him and that I miss him. I try to take my final but all I can think about is Scott. I’m pretty sure this final did not got very well at all.
After my final I practically run home so that maybe I can catch Scott on Skype before he goes to bed. He’s online!!!! His connection was fixed and I can actually see him!!! It’s an amazing feeling actually being able to not only talk to him but SEE him as well. I started crying because I miss him so much.
He told me that he has been very busy and that it looks like things are going to start heating up again. A few days ago he found his first “boom boom” as he called it. This really scares me but he assures me that he will be ok and that he promises to do all he can to stay safe and come home to me. Then he changes the subject and casually mentions that I need to send more cookies. I couldn’t believe that he’d already gotten the package that I sent him. I only sent it out last week!!! After a few more minutes he tells me that he needs to get to bed because he has a mission in the morning. After some more reassurances that he will be fine and some virtual kisses, we say goodbye and goodnight.
The mailman also came that afternoon with our engagement pictures!!! I can’t stop looking at them and remembering the day that we had them taken. It was one of the last days Scott was in town before he deployed.
Evening
I should really be studying for my next final but I have super bad senioritis so instead I watch a few episodes of Say Yes to the Dress, read a book, and pour a bowl of cereal for supper. My roommate is listening to Christmas music and I jokingly say that my Christmas song for this year is Blue Christmas and then proceed to sing “I’ll have a blue Christmas without you. I’ll be so blue thinking about you…” I am not looking forward to the idea of spending Christmas without Scott and having to figure out what to get my brand new in-laws for Christmas.
Then at 9:30 I go to the gym with one of my roommates to go running. We ran 2.5 miles tonight. I HATE running but my goal is to get in shape by the time Scott gets back. I’ve got another 11 months. Running is not too bad though because that is when my roommate and I have girl talk. She has a crush an an ROTC boy so of course I’m encouraging her to get to know this boy better.
I can’t sleep because I have so much energy from running. I go on Facebook and my friend starts to chat with me. She asks me how married life is going. I HATE this question!!! I tell her that I honestly have no idea what married life is like. I was with my husband for less than a week before he left and now I’m lucky if I get to talk to him once a week.
What is married life like? Married life is lots of lonely nights. Married life is a cell phone that becomes a lifeline. Married life is days spent thinking of what to send in the next care package. Married life is buying all the “Missing You” cards at Hallmark. Married life is loathing all the couples holding hands while walking to class. Married life is a life lived in daydreams of a beautiful homecoming. Married life is having to go to your in-laws Christmas alone and awkward as you are being introduced to relatives that didn’t even know that their nephew/ grandson/cousin/etc was even married. Married life is not caring if you didn’t shave that day because no one is around to care.
But now it is time for bed. So I take Scott’s picture off of the nightstand, look at his beautiful face and admire how handsome he is in his dress blues. Then I say “Good night Scott. I love you. I miss you. Be safe and come home to me.” Then I put the photograph back on the nightstand, turn out the lights and cuddle with my stuffed animal. Tomorrow is another day. Tomorrow is one day closer to Scott.
Madeline
