Behind her, Winnie skips in, holding Max’s hand. She waves at the table with Johnny and Jeff then looks around until her eyes land on mine. She hesitates a second before giving me a shy smile.
Her hesitancy kills me. The uncertainty reaches inside my chest and crushes my heart.
Then it hits me. Max has been missing all night after leaving the bathroom. He’s been with them. He’s known where Presley was, which means, most likely, so has everyone else.
My fingers tremble as I shoot off a text to Robbie.
Me: You knew where she was? All night?
Robbie: Not really. Knew she was here, didn’t know where. She begged us to leave her alone.
Me: Not fucking cool.
Robbie: Time for you to shut the fuck up and listen to her. Stop being a bullheaded dick face.
I narrow my eyes at him across the room and start to reply when my phone vibrates.
Robbie: Stop sending death glares to me. You need to focus on the stage.
“…and this young woman’s strength, loyalty, and courage is one reason we gather each year to keep honoring our Armed Forces and their families. Please, help me welcome Presley Chambers and her niece, Whitney.” Clapping fills the ballroom as Jenna moves away from the podium and makes her way down the stairs. Presley visibly lets out a breath, smiles at her escort, and holds out her hand for Winnie.
They walk up the stairs, and someone brings a chair from the back for Winnie to sit, as Presley takes her place behind the microphone.
“Hi,” she says shyly, her cheeks stained pink. “I’d like to start by thanking Jenna Hayes and her committee for inviting me to speak tonight. I’m aware this honor is usually reserved for more esteemed guest speakers with much more knowledge about the military sacrifices made to protect and serve. My story and situation will, in no way, live up to the esteemed character and prolific integrity of these men and women, but I hope to shed some light on the families.
“Hearing Jenna describe me as courageous is one of the best compliments I’ve ever received. I don’t see myself that way, and until a few weeks ago, I’d have scoffed. But today, I absorb her words and hope tomorrow is the same.”
She nods to someone I can’t see, and a picture fills the large screen behind her of a family of five. I immediately recognize it from Jeff’s house. Presley lays horizontal on her brothers’ laps with a toothy grin, while they do bunny ears behind her head. Winnie gives a little giggle, and Presley smiles at her softly.
“Before you all roll your eyes, bear with me.” Presley looks around the room with an embarrassed grin.
“As you can tell, that’s a family. It’s my family. A few years after this was taken, we lost my mother. I became the quintessential woman of the house and never regretted a single moment of it. Taking care of my family made me happy, made me proud. I strived for excellence and found happiness in the everyday tasks of keeping our family together. Well, I was the baby of the family, and when my oldest brother, Simon, turned eighteen, only a few months after my mom died, he joined the Marines.”
She goes on to share stories of her life, including the birth of Winnie and her relocation to North Carolina. All the time, she makes sure to describe what the military meant in her life—her feelings and fears with each deployment, the excitement of receiving emails and letters—and what she shares next rocks me to my core. Her eyes dart around the room as she licks her lips nervously.
“This is going to sound supernatural, but one night in June, I had a dream
. My brother Simon was sitting with me on my parents’ porch. We were drinking beer and joking about what he referred to as my ‘pathetic dating life’. I argued with logic and precise lucidity that my dating was perfectly normal. He countered with the argument that I was playing life safe and not giving myself a chance to experience the kind of soul-searing passion and love I deserved. Remember, this is a dream where I’m discussing my love life with my older brother… Have I creeped anyone out yet?”
She pauses for dramatic effect. There’s an encouraging rumble from the crowd, which spurs her on.
“Well, Simon told me, in this dream, he was tired of seeing me go through life with a safety net. He was sending a man to take care of me, a man he trusted and who would teach me what love was if I gave it a chance. A few days later, I met my Prince Charming. That night, I got the call telling me my brother was killed.”
The room goes still. You could hear a pin drop except for the sound of quiet sniffles. Winnie looks at Presley then hangs her head, playing with her hands. Max walks on stage and picks her up, hugging her close, and kisses Presley on the cheek as he crosses the room and hands Winnie to Jeff.
I drop my elbows to my knees with pent up aggression. That should be me. I should be on that stage and holding both of them close.
“I’ll spare you the details, because unfortunately, many in this room have lost loved ones. We buried my brother with great honor, each of us vowing Whitney would always know what an incredible man her daddy was.
“In the weeks following, several people contacted the family with names of community resources dedicated to families of the fallen. I shied away, spending my time with my niece, my volunteering, my work, and at the time, my boyfriend.”
My body seizes.
Presley gives a nervous giggle. “That’s right. Remember the Prince Charming? He was real! My brother actually did send a man to take care of me. Oh, but listen up… it wasn’t just any man… it was another Marine!”
The room applauds, soaking in her words.
“That’s right, a big, bad, Marine. The kind who risked his life to save his best friend years earlier in a roadside bomb.”