Andrea awoke a whole ten minutes before her alarm clock was due to go off. She turned on her side and just watched David as he slept. She began to wonder about what the future may hold if she were to ever to lose him. He was and still is after all, a soldier. The possibility that one day he would go away and fail to return with his life was a thought that always weighed heavy on her mind. She kissed his forehead and got up to begin her regular morning routine.

As she continued to ready herself, Andrea's thoughts continued to wander leading her to ponder the life she could have had if she had followed her own dreams rather than settling down and becoming a member of the army wives club. She was not sad with the choices she had made rather more so just curious as to what might have been.

The one thing that is for sure is that David was always great to her. He is tall, handsome, and strong and she knew he loved her. The home they had created together made her the envy of all within that army wives club. Andrea and David had something special, a strong bond that left neither of them with any doubts that having got married so young was in any way a mistake.

Yeah, how odd it is how memories can make you reminisce. Andrea had been a student of Science and Law at the University of Cambridge, and during Holiday Break in her second year of college she returned home to the states with a young man she had intended to marry. It was in the airport shortly after her arrival with her partner where she would be taken by surprise with a man who stood proud in his uniform.

The softness of her plain beauty had hit David like a freight train. She was stunning and he was indeed stunned. This is a moment which came by chance, a moment leaving David feeling as if he had to do something. This could and would be a life changing moment that he would not want to let pass by. David approached the couple. The young lady's bright blue eyes grabbed the attention of his own eyes.

'Can I help you sir?' spoke the young lady's partner.

David just stared.

'Can I help you good sir?'

The tone of the brisk pitched voice prompted David to respond.

'Yeah, you can help me, this girl who stands next to you, is she with you?'

The gentleman scratched his head in confusion, thinking to himself ... well if her arm his embraced with mine then the obvious should be obvious and subscribing to the thought of the gall the wearing of a uniform gives some people.

Andrea smiled slyly; she was definitely and oddly turned on or at least intrigued by the soldiers' gumption and his balls of Steel. The young man whose side she has been and is standing by takes her by the arm and ensures that he and his planned soon to be wedded wife walks around this uniformed fellow.

As the young man tugged Andrea along, she could feel the burning in the soldiers' eyes, the desire that only existed in the dreams of those young women who were not inclined to follow the rules of polite society. Behind her boring beau's back she turned her head and smiled devilishly at the uniformed man. David just like the couple went on about his business, his chance, his opportunity having passed him by.

Back at the barracks where David lived on Fort Knox, in the state of Kentucky the memory of her smile haunted him, and her perfume lingered in the air as if she was yet right beside him. His roommate was perplexed as he walked in the door to find his barrack buddy and long-time friend laid out on his bed staring hard up at the ceiling.

'Signorelli, what the hell is wrong with you dude? Have you been messing with that chick who is being talked about all over base, you know the one with the blue waffle?'

David looked at Corey in disgust, picked up his pillow and threw it at him.

'Has anyone lately told you that you are a dick?'

Corey laughed as he picked up the pillow before throwing it back at David.

'Anyway Signorelli, instead of you laying in your bed looking like someone has just ran over your cat, how about you come out with us tonight?'

Still thinking about lady in the airport, Corey's question had gone over David's head.

'Hello earth to David, Mars, vagina land, wherever you may be.'

David rolled his eyes in mocked frustration, here he was trying to think about the girl that could be the last love of his life, and like a fool he let her get away.

'What do you want from me?' asked David.

Corey repeated his question, and David politely declined.

In the tearoom within the house of the young man once called home, a home his parents owned, Andrea herself was in a state of bliss thinking about the young soldier, what was his name? He hadn't spoken his name. Pity there had been no kind of introduction. Those eyes, she thought and that uniform. She lifted up her head that was rested back upon the old Victorian chair as her soon to be husband made another boring formal speech.

'My flower, it is only expected of you after we are married to maintain a household, bare my children, and care for my needs as my devoted wife, now that I have passed the bar it is only assumed that I have a spot reserved with the best firm in the city, your degree is only an importance of your status, you will do nothing with that degree, but it is important that you have one so that when I can show you off to my partners, I can brag that my wife did something.

'Really?' she thought out loud as she lifted her hand off her chin in disbelief ...

'My position as your wife is not to stand under you, but to stand equal to you, I have known you my entire life, your nonchalant natural ability to withstand the position of number one regardless of who you hurt is ridiculous and I see that better than ever now. The only reason I am to marry you is not for love, but for the sake of expectancy.'

George, her partner, though partner did not seem an appropriate word, stuck his chest out to her.

'You will learn to love me as I am, I get what I want and nothing will get in the way of that, you belong to me.'

Andrea took a deep breath in order to prevent herself from a bout of hyperventilating more than anything else.

'I belong to no one, and what is expected of me is what I expect out of my own potential and own greatness.'

George leaves the room and scoffing at her opinion, she sunk back in the chair looking out the window, the weather reflected her mood, and the Christmas spirit was most definitely not upon her, it suddenly began to snow and as the fire crackled in that big empty house ... her thoughts went back to the soldier.

Andrea usually could feel right at home anywhere but mingling with upper class members of society at a gathering for the opening of an exhibition at an art gallery was the last place she wanted to go or be especially with what George had to say only a few short hours earlier. She felt that she had no choice but to show her face. When enough became enough she bailed and went walking in the clear cold night.

After only moments of staring at the ground Andrea looked up and there he was, standing on the far side of the street looking back, looking as strong and proud in his uniform as he did the first time he had caught Andrea's attention. To David this lady looked even more stunning than she did at the airport and the sight of her was as much a welcome one as it was surprising.

David acknowledged the other soldiers in his company as they moved on for, he would follow but not just yet. He had another chance at a life changing moment, and he was not about to let this one pass him by. He moved across the street quickly taking long strides.

'Hi, I'm Andrea' she spoke with a very slight nervous giggle and an outstretched hand, also not wanting to waste an opportunity.

He took her hand wrapping his hand around her fingers and gently bringing the rest up to his lips.

'Beautiful name for a beautiful lady, I'm David by the way.'

She giggled once more. Finally, she knew his name. Corey approached, certainly not looking pleased in any way.

'C'mon dude, we gotta go here yeah?' speaks David's closest confidant.

David turned his head and watched Corey move on away.

'I will follow in minute.'

David paused and turned back toward Andrea.

'Look, I won't lie here. We are shipping out tomorrow for a six-month tour of duty and ...'

'... You want me to wait for you, right?'

Andrea didn't really need to ask but she did anyway. David went on that six-month tour of duty. George went back to Cambridge without Andrea.

With the morning being new, a daydream is disrupted by a tired David who walked up to his wife who stood at the kitchen worktop, and he put both his hands around her to hold her tight. He released his grip and placed both his hands on her tummy.

'One day my love, one day.'

'Will you stop?'

Andrea smiled, reached around with her right arm, and place her hand on the back of David's neck, giggled that giggle that David loved so much to hear, a giggle no different from what lit up a snow filled street once upon a time, then she moved away and turned back towards her man, the other half of an equal partnership. A knock came to the front door and Corey let himself in.

'Am I interrupting something? I can always come back if I am interrupting.'

David looked to the heavens.

'Come right on in there my friend; just remind me to get those locks changed.'

David and Andrea shared a smile.

'I'll go get myself ready' she spoke softly.

'You know Signorelli, as your good friend and having been the best man at your wedding I must not only inform but remind you that you married that chick who used to be talked about all over base.'

'Has anyone told you lately that you are still a dick?'

Their laughter and smiles would soon change to somewhat of a somber mood, for all three would be heading to a service for a fallen army comrade, a service where David would be giving the eulogy.

Standing on front of the closed casket, David looked toward Corey and began to think of his own mortality then looked toward Andrea. He began to feel strong; a strength that would make him feel almost invincible as if the love they shared would see him through and forever keep him safe ... safety is something however that can never be guaranteed. What is there may aid his return home, but nothing is ever guaranteed ...