The Makings of an Army Wife

 Snippets of Anna finding herself transitioning into a new role as an army wife; a role she feels she was born to be.

 

First Day Jitters

Anna was talking a mile a minute from the bedroom. What specific subject it was this time, Harry didn’t know.  His eyes were fixated on his pale reflection above the sink, but he wasn’t really looking at himself now. All he could focus on was the undeniable clench in his belly and the acceleration of his heart rate that seemed to be beating out of his chest.

He felt like he was going to throw up.

It was silly, really – the nerves that had kept him brooding all day. But he didn’t know how to stop the anxiousness.

Being the insightful wife she was, Anna had been patient with him all day. Whatever was going through his head, she knew he had to make sense of it before he would invite her in. And so, she had suggested they go for a stroll through the gardens with Betsy (knowing how fresh air did the jumbled mind good), and requested a drive around the village so she could become more familiarized with her new surroundings.

Harry had shrugged and gone along with it albeit not having any desire to. He just wanted to sit and dwell and waste the day away. Begrudgingly, he had strolled along side her with Betsy leading the way through the gardens, tuning in and out of his wife’s anticipated plans for the yard come springtime. And then after lunch, he had kept quiet in the passenger seat (a rarity when Anna was behind the wheel) during their drive around town while she had talked animatedly about one thing or another.

The remainder of the day had been relatively the same. Supper was awkwardly silent. Lounging in front of the telly was even more uncomfortable. And then getting ready for bed, Anna had begun talking again, probably going crazy for being tight lipped for awhile.

He only prayed she would be asleep soon before she had the chance to explode and demand him to talk.

Sighing in frustration – completely directed at himself – Harry tipped his head back to examine his clean-shaven face; an attempt to remedy the unsettling knot in his tummy. He passed a hand over the smooth skin, then paused when he noticed the tiny inflammation that had begun to form on his chin. A stress zit.

“Harry… did you hear me?” His wife’s voice drifted from the doorway as he poked and prodded the blotchy area.

“Sorry, what?” Harry sheepishly asked, meeting her curious wide eyes through the mirror.

Anna folded her arms with raised eyebrows.  “I’ve been talking to you for the past twenty minutes. Did you hear anything I said?”

He cringed inwardly. There was only so much distance and avoidance Anna could take, and if he continued on this path for the rest of the night, he would surely be the recipient of an earful. He braced himself while answering, “Not really, no. Sorry…”

Dumbfounding him, she chuckled. She wasn’t angry; far from it. The amusement was written across her soft features.

Indeed, she had been patient and understanding by his lack of communication, even when he didn’t feel the need to show her the courtesy of acknowledging her chattering. There was something stewing inside his concealed mind, something that he wasn’t willing to share, and while it was bothersome that he didn’t want to unleash it on her, acting reticent instead, she had been willing to let it go until he was ready to voice it.

However, now that nighttime had fallen and there was still no indication of his mood shifting, she was becoming slightly irritated and a bit hurt.

On top of it all, he had been admittedly tuning her out for the past half hour.

Miss Patient and Understanding was no more.

Ready to castigate him for not listening–and for not listening all day–she had stalked to the bathroom where he was supposed to be getting ready for bed…and almost laughed.

There he was, her husband, ungracefully trying to pop a zit.

Leaning on the doorframe, she repeated herself. “I was thinking about calling Lena in the morning…see if it’ll be alright to join the other girls on their Tuesday meeting…but I don’t want to sound too eager and desperate…what do you think?”

“I think that’s a great idea, baby,” Harry murmured, still absorbed with his reflection.

“You don’t think it’s too soon?”

Lifting his chin up higher, he responded, “I don’t see why it would be. It shows how interested you are; how much you’d like to be a part of what they’re about. I’m sure they’d appreciate to see you’re eager to get involved.”

She scrunched up her nose in thought. “You think so?”

“I do.” He heaved a sigh, eyes flicking to hers through the mirror. “Honestly, the sooner the better. You’d go stir crazy after a week.”

She chuckled, agreeing. “Okay, it’s final then; I’ll call tomorrow.”

“Good.” Harry muttered. A fleeting smile graced his lips before he turned back to his previous task.

Anna watched in silence for a few moments before interjecting. “You really shouldn’t be doing that. It’ll irritate the skin even more and leave a mark.”

Harry let out an exasperated breath through his nose. “What do you suggest I do then? I can’t very well start my first day with a big ass zit on my face.”

And there it was; the reason for his grumpiness.

First day jitters.

“Is that why–” Anna snapped her mouth shut before the remaining words could spill out. If she were to call him out, he would undoubtedly clam up again. That’s the last thing she wanted. Saving him the embarrassment, she said instead, “Well, first, popping it won’t make it go down any.”

She pushed herself away from the frame and made her way into the bathroom, heading straight to her side of the double sink to rummage through some products. “I have some face wash that will help it for the next few days but if you want a quick fix to dry it out, you’re better off doing the aspirin mask and putting some lotion on your face.”

“The.. what?” Harry wrinkled his nose. “Anna, I’m not going to use your fucking beauty products..”

Her head snapped up to gape at him. “Why the hell not? If it’ll help…”

Agitated, he growled and rubbed his forehead with an open palm. “Because your face always has this clean feminine scent…I’m not going to walk on the airfield smelling like bloody flowers.”

She laughed lightly while rolling her eyes, then dropped her gaze to search for the remedy. “Guys are so fixated on shit like that. I hope you know how ridiculous you sound. And rude.”

Harry quirked a brow, staring humorously as she moved a bunch of bottles around. “Really, now? So, tell me, would you be okay with going out with the girls smelling like, ah, I don’t know… me?”

“Yes,“ she blew the strands of dark hair that had fallen in her field of vision, “I would be perfectly okay with that.”

“Bullshit,” he argued with a tut.

“Whatever… here, let’s try the aspirin mask.” She shook the bottle in her hand, reassuring him with alive eyes. “I promise it won’t give off any flowery scent and it’ll dry up the little sucker before your big day tomorrow.”

“No, it’s fine,” he grumbled rather moodily. Using his fingers to tousle his still damp hair, he realized she was right; his skin was more irritated after the abusive treatment. “Fuck.”

“Har-” Anna was about to retort with an irritation to her own voice at his stubbornness until her phone buzzed on the night stand in the other room.

“Damn, that’s loud.” Harry mused without glancing her way as she strolled out of the room. “Defeats the purpose, no?”

Now that he’s no longer mute, he sure is full of complaints, Anna thought to herself. “You should hear it when it’s going off in my purse. Sounds like I keep a vibrator in there…”

“I’m surprised you don’t.”

“Ha!” She dived for the mobile, scooping it up seconds before it could go to voicemail. “Oh, it’s my brother. Hey, Danny boy.”

Harry listened on for a few minutes to the one sided conversation, chuckling to himself at the way Anna fell into the pestering little sister role.

“No, Gabe didn’t tell me anything. What is it? Oh, come on! You cannot do this to me. You know how nosy I am. Tell me, tell me, tell me! What is iiiiit?” She laughed sarcastically. “Oh, shut up, you dweeb. Just tell me. Then why did you fucking call?!”

Harry heard a long annoyed sigh before she proceeded.

“Why can’t you just say it now? So what! Gabe makes me swear to secrecy and I never tell you anything! I mean…shit…bad example. Nothing! I can’t tell you, that’s the point, jackass. Just fucking spit it out. Oh my god, you are more annoying than Luke and Finn put together.”

Silence followed until a squeal cut through the air, causing the puppy who had been sleeping at the foot of the bed to jump awake. “Are you serious?! That is amazing news! Congratulations! Wait! Hang on, let me tell Harry.”

Dark curls that were loosely tied up by an elastic swung from side to side as Anna bounced into the room, Betsy now at her feet. The mobile was pressed against her chest and she wore a pearly white grin; the excitement radiating off of her.

Harry’s dark mood began to wither at the sight.

“Guess what!” Anna’s eyes sparkled with delight.

“Chicken butt,” he joked, grinning. It was his way of apologizing for his foul mood.

“No!” She laughed, swatting his bare chest. “Danny and Gabe are having a baby girl!”

His eyes widened, and the giddiness replaced any form of consternation he had been feeling. “No shit! Wow, man.. that’s fantastic! Congratulations.”

Harry and Anna huddled close together in the center of the master bathroom as Danny went on to share more information on the pending adoption. In a few weeks time, the expecting parents were due to travel to Spain where a tiny fourteen month old Dora awaited their arrival. After a rough start, she had been in need of a loving forever home, the sort of stability that the couple would surely give her.

The trio talked excitedly for the next forty-five minutes, discussing what the long, tiresome process was like–the outcome outweighing the disappointing setbacks. It didn’t take long before Anna inquired how the two came to an agreement on the interior of Dora’s room.

“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Danny groaned.

“Did you bribe him with some weird sex thing?” Anna asked with caution. “Because if so…”

“Yeah, let’s not go there,” Her brother replied with no ounce of enthusiasm. “He’s going to use this against me until we’re eighty, I’m sure.”

“Compromise is the key to a successful marriage,” Harry lamely recited. “Give the guy this one and you’ll get the next!”

“Over my dead body! He wanted the walls to be zebra print for God’s sake… and hot pink carpeting; wall to wall.”

“Poor kid,” Anna said with a laugh, then tilted her head to peek up at her husband. “I’ll kill you if you ever utter the words zebra print when it comes to the kids.”

Harry chuckled and held his palms up. “I promise you I’d pick cheetahbefore zebra print.”

A burst of giggles erupted from her and Danny.

“Don’t you dare give Gabriel any more hideous ideas!“ Daniel’s warning filtered through the mobile speaker. “Guys, seriously though…we need to change the subject before my blood pressure skyrockets. What are you two lovebirds up to tonight?”

“We were just getting ready for bed,” Anna managed to muster, her body still shaking with humor.

“Oh, right. I forgot about the time difference. Are you ready for your big day, Har?”

The anxiety spiked his heart rate at the reminder. He inhaled sharply and opened his mouth to speak but Anna beat him to it. “He’s stressing over a zit on his chin.”

“Oooh,” Danny hissed. “You know what will help dry that shit right out? The aspirin mask.”

Harry groaned at his gloating wife. “Damn all of you Caro’s.”

=============================

A New Monday

Monday. The start of a new week, typically served as a returning day after a holiday period; brief or extended. Naturally, it was a day most of the population dreaded. On this particular Monday, Anna found herself antsy by early afternoon.

At five a.m., the alarm clock had gone off, forcing the young couple to begin a new ritual. Harry had rolled out of bed and took off with Betsy for a run, leaving Anna to trudge sleepily to the kitchen where she began preparing breakfast and his lunch. After sharing a quiet breakfast together, Anna had kept Harry company while he showered and dressed in his work gear. By six forty-five, Harry had kissed her goodbye and rushed out the door.

For a few minutes, Anna had stared at the closed door and listened to the roaring of his bike and the SUV that would follow close behind. Taking a quick look around, she had sighed and shrugged to herself, not knowing what to do about with the uneventful day.

Deciding it was too early to call Lena about the WMWC meeting, she had shuffled upstairs to take a shower herself, then had gone for a walk with Betsy. Before having a light lunch outside on the patio, she had called the other military wife who was surprised and ecstatic to hear from her, instantly welcoming her to the meeting and accepting her into the choir.

Anna was thrilled.

By one in the afternoon, plans were made and lunch had been eaten. With nothing urgent on her agenda, Anna quickly found herself to be restless.  She had tried to fill her time with other things, such as light reading, catching up on the Netflix queue, and searching through wedding blogs. But her mind was racing, and she couldn’t focus on one thing more than five minutes before her thought process would wander.

Would the other wives and girlfriends be just as welcoming? Was Harry having a good day at work? Were her little birds okay? She hoped so.

“Ugh…stop, Anna,” she scolded herself, tossing the laptop to the side. “Okay, I need to do something. What should we do with the rest of the day, Bets?” The puppy that lay next to her yawned and rested her head back on the sofa cushion in reply. Anna frowned. “I’m too wired for a nap, baby girl.”

She had to do something before her own thoughts worked against her. Thinking of her mother, she tried to channel her and what she would be doing right now.

Cleaning.

And that’s how Harry found her when he returned that evening.

==============================

Becoming One of Them

Following the move to Wattisham, Anna found herself in a place where she felt she belonged; a place she was always meant to be.  A role that was destined for her.

She was an army wife.

The meeting with the other Wattisham military wives and girlfriends had been a success. Anna had made it very clear with the other wives and girlfriends that she wanted to be treated the same as all of them–because that’s exactly who she was; the wife of a soldier.

It wasn’t long before she became involved with the activities that filled the wives’ calendars.

“Sir Craig, this is Anna. She’ll be reading to you today.” Lena shouted near the frowning old man that sat in a wheelchair.

“Good God, woman. I’m blind, not deaf,” came the gravelly complaint. “Are you trying to deteriorate my perfectly working eardrum?”

Anna bit her lip and laid an empathetic hand on Lena’s arm when an embarrassed flush came over her new friend’s cheeks.

The older woman spluttered as she answered the veteran, “Sorry, I was speaking with Mr. Robinson just now an-”

“That foul invalid?” The old man huffed, grumbling under his breath with distaste. “No wonder the stench coming off of you is irritating my sinuses. Go, now. Leave me with this Anna so I can go about my day.”

Anna looked on with a smirk. Sir Craig was going to be a challenge to please. What he didn’t know–or any of them for that matter–was that Annalisa was all too familiar with crabby old veterans. She had won over the hearts of many back in the States. This would be no different.

“Good morning, Sir Craig. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Oh, for the love of… They left me with a goddamned Yankee… Good day, young lady.”

Her smirk transformed into a grin. “Ah, my accent can’t get past you, then.” She sat on the seat next to him and reached for the newspaper set for her on the table. “Would it be best if I read the paper in a fake British accent then?”

“Absolutely not! There is nothing more horrid and bloody unpleasant than a Yankee thinking they can master a respectable dialect.”

“I happen to disagree, sir.”

He scowled. “I beg your pardon.”

“There is nothing more bloody unpleasant than the appalling manners of a Brit.” It had barely been two minutes, and Annalisa had already won. His lips twitched as he fought against the amused smile. “Shall we begin with the sports section?” She cleared her throat, folding the paper for an easy read.

“Weather.” He said with a new friendly tone.

After going over the forecast for the coming week and announcing the scores of the latest sporting events, Sir Craig grunted the next thing he wanted to hear. Morbidly, Anna found herself reading the obituaries, pausing after each name until the veteran nodded his head to continue.

“You have a very gentle scent.”

Her cheeks felt instantly hot and Anna choked on the name she was reading.  “Oh…um..thank you.”

“You’re married, I presume?”

She bit her lip. The bloke didn’t know exactly who he was talking to, so telling him the truth wouldn’t hurt….would it?

Deciding it wouldn’t–it couldn’t–she answered honestly with a happy tone, “Yes, sir. Since last September.”

A fond smile crept on his face, as if he was remembering a wonderful pastime. “A newlywed.”

“Indeed. We recently moved here to Wattisham so my husband could resume his Apache flying.”

“I was an Apache pilot for thirty some years. A very hard craft to master.”

“I’ve heard,” she said with a wide grin. “I’m very proud of him. He loves it and can’t see himself doing anything else.”

“Let me tell you something, Mrs. Anna..” She leaned in to listen closely at his polite command, resting a supportive hand on his uncontrolled trembling fingers. “It has been said the honeymoon phase is for the first year only. Then reality sets in; responsibilities get packed on the more your family and life grows together. You face struggles, you go through hurdles, you defeat the biggest of the blows. But I say the honeymoon should last a lifetime.” He paused, then continued with a low, mournful speech, “Time is precious, my dear.”

Anna swallowed at the slight waver in his voice and she discreetly wiped away the wetness that had pooled at her eyes. “I’ll make sure to remember that, sir. Even when he’s being a pain in my arse.”

Sir Craig laughed at the unexpected change in her accent. “Your husband is a very lucky lad.”

“I’m the lucky one,” she stated without missing a beat.

It would be months of several visits before the veteran would come to know his favorite Yankee was the future Duchess. He would learn many things others didn’t of the Royal, things that would be of much interest to the media.  Stories he wouldn’t dare share with any press, but with only his children and their children… Many generations of the veteran thereafter would come to know Anna Wales as the most genuine, down to earth, and kind hearted military wife in history.

============================

Babysitting

A soft coo was the first thing that reached his ears when Harry stepped inside the front door.  It made him pause there, with brows knitted together, the sound being completely out of ordinary, until the angelic hum of a melody filtered through the walls and into the entrance hall.

After Harry set his keys and wallet on the side table, he showered his little mama that greeted him with kisses, then proceeded to follow his wife’s gentle whispering song.

Anna was found by the sliding doors in the kitchen, facing the view of the gardens.  It was a familiar scene. He had come home from his morning run so often to find her gazing out at the wintered plants, a steaming  mug cradled in her hands and breakfast waiting for him at the table.

But she wasn’t looking out of the glass doors this time; her attention was casted down at the delicate bundle she held in her arms–visible to Harry in the reflection created by the moonlight.

The sight made his usual greeting catch in his throat and his heart galloped wildly in his chest.

Anna turned and looked up, sensing him near, and met his loving gaze; one that was filled with promise of the near future.

“Hi,” she whispered with a small smile.

His face split into a wide grin before he returned her soft spoken greeting with his own, “Hey. Sorry I’m late.”

Anna shook her head gently, dismissing his apology. “It’s okay. How was your day?”

“Good…not as interesting as yours, evidently.” His wide eyes fell on the peacefully sleeping infant, looking on with a curious wonder.  “Where did you find that?“

Anna’s laughing eyes followed her husband’s gaze, taking in the precious soft features of the five month old.  It was nearing hour three of babysitting the infant, and instead of growing tired between juggling cooking supper, reading up on the fundraiser she was to attend the next morning, and taking an emotional phone call from Maggie all the while rocking the baby in her arms, she felt energetic – like she was a natural.

“Snatched her up at the park when no one was looking.”

Harry laughed gently, sparkling blue eyes flitting back up to his wife.  “Good girl.“

“Lanah couldn’t find a babysitter for Allie so I volunteered to watch her while she met with Colin’s teachers.”

Harry nodded.  His wife had been volunteering for many things as of late, keeping busy with the other wives while he was at work.  He knew she did it out of the goodness of her generous heart, and for that, he was eternally proud to be called her husband.

“Can I keep her?” Anna asked in a loud whisper.

Harry let out a low chuckle, shuffling his feet towards the woman he adored above all others.  Placing a gentle, tender kiss on her temple, he said, “As long as you promise to feed, change, and bathe her.”

The infant squirmed at the shift of Anna’s posture but immediately settled down when Harry tickled her round belly while Anna started to rock her once again. With an upturned head, Anna quirked a brow.  “Are you saying you plan on being a lazy father?“

His lips tilted into a lazy smile at the mere mention of them having a family. He couldn’t wait for that. “I most certainly am not.  I’ll take over from time to time…like you do with Bets.”

Anna responded by pushing against him with her elbow, a smile painted on her face despite the eye roll directed at him. She knew he was messing with her. There was no doubt in her mind of the hands-on father he would grow to be.

“Dinner is in the oven.  Lanah should be here any minute,” she said, walking past him to make her way to the living room.

“Have you eaten yet?” He asked while opening the oven door, trying to keep the panting puppy from sticking her eager nose inside.

“Not yet,” Anna replied at the same time he found the untouched casserole.  “I’m waiting for Lanah before I do…you can go ahead and start without me.“

He wouldn’t.

There had been many exhausting late nights training on base, becoming familiarized with new equipment that had developed while he spent the past year behind a desk.  And each late end to his day was completed by sharing a meal with his wife–his wife who had temporarily cured her hunger with light snacks while waiting for him to come home before digging into the homecooked supper.

They ate together.

============================

Empty Home

“Honey…I’m hooooome!”

It was quiet. Too quiet. And no overly excited welcome home from Betsy.

“Anna?” Harry wandered into the kitchen and frowned when he saw the empty room, fully expecting to see his wife either at the stove or looking out at the gardens. His eyes roamed around for any clues as to where she was, a piece of paper on the island caught his attention.

Off to sing my heart out. (Get it? Bad joke?)

He chortled, remembering she had signed up for the Valentine’s Day show at the local church.

Supper is in the fridge. Set the microwave for five minutes and it should be hot enough. I’ll be home late so don’t wait up.

I hope you had a good day. Please put your feet up and watch some tv. You need to relax. You don’t do that enough.

Love you xoxo

Anna

PS: I should probably tell you I have Betsy with me. 🙂

Harry reached into the cabinet where they kept the goodies stocked and grabbed a bag of popcorn. Then, he dragged his feet into the living room and did exactly what his wife ordered him to do. He relaxed in front of the telly.

Only he got bored after about a half hour. Not even the comedy programme could hold his attention.

Harry’s eyes swept around the low-lit room. Everything was so clean and in order, no doubt Anna obsessing over keeping the house presentable. Little did she know, everything wouldn’t look so tidy in a few years.

It was strange, being in the house alone at night. He didn’t like it. It surprised him how much he had grown accustomed to her company that he felt empty without it. Like the house was just a house, and not a home until her laughter and sweet smile surrounded the walls.

It’s way too quiet here. I miss you.

-H

I miss you too my baby. We’ll be home soon. 🙂

-A

I thought you were going to be late?

-H

I am, silly. It’s nearing ten.

Did you just get home??

-A

Less than an hour ago. I guess I didn’t realize the time.

Hurry home (while obeying the speed limit)

-H

Yes, sir. 😉

-A

Harry smiled. He felt like he could breathe a little easier now, anticipating her arrival. Jumping up onto his feet, he stalked towards the kitchen to add a little romance to the night.

Anna would be touched and swept off her feet by the candlelit dinner that awaited her back at home.