A hopeless kind of love

Chapter 13: Saying goodbye

Chapter 13

Elle

I'm driving Cody to the airport. I insisted on doing that, even though it will be hard to see him leave. It feels like something I have to do. But I wanna go through it all with Cody, he is my life.

Darren and Vicky are also with us. They wanted to say goodbye. Darren is very upset about this. He meets his best friend for like an hour or two for the first time in five years, and he has to leave for Afghanistan. He thinks it's unfair. I agree.

When we get to the airport we follow Cody to the check-in. I almost start to cry again. Is this Cody’s group? They're all so young, with girlfriends.

One couple breaks my heart especially much. It's a young couple with what seems like a newborn.

"Baby I'm gonna come home alive, I promise", the guy says to the crying girl with the baby in a baby carrier on her chest.

"I don't believe you", the girl cries.

"Oh, baby..." He says and embraces her gently not to crush the baby between them.

Cody seems to recognize the guy because he walks up to him.

"Adam! She had the baby? I can't believe it!" Cody says, hugging the guy he called Adam.

"Yeah, a week ago", Adam says, looking down at his son with proud eyes. "Olivia this is Cody".

"Adam has told me so much about you", she says smiling, while Adam wipes her tears away.

"You must be Elle, am I right?" Adam asks looking at me.

I cling onto Cody's arm as I nod.

"Cody couldn't stop babbling about you for the six whole months we were in Afghanistan", Adam laughs and hits Cody playfully on the other arm. "It got a bit annoying after the third month, but just a liiittle bit".

I smile and look up at Adam and he smiles.

"He loved you the whole time", Vicky says dreamily. "And you didn't even know".

"Adam this is our friends Vicky and Darren", Cody says pointing at the two of them.

"Nice to meet you guys", Adam says. "But I do think that we could've met under better circumstances".

We sure could. And the only thing I can focus on is the week-old baby. Poor baby. Poor Olivia. Poor Adam. Poor ... everyone! All around us, girls are crying and saying goodbye to their boyfriends. This is not fair to anyone. But of course, the guys chose to join the army, but us girls didn't choose who to fall in love with, we just did. And now we're here, saying goodbye to the loves of our lives and we might not see them ever again.

But when I look closer, I see guys crying, saying goodbye to their girlfriends, who are soldiers as well. I didn't even think of that. Of course, there are girl soldiers as well.

"What's the little guy's name?" I ask, looking at the baby.

I've never seen a baby this young look so much like his father. But he really does. He looks so much like Olivia.

"Fisher", Olivia says with a smile. "Fisher McKinley".

"You guys are married?" Vicky asks.

Olivia nods. "Yea we got married the day Adam arrived home", she says.

"Hey thanks for the invitation dude", Cody says, hitting Adam playfully on the arm.

"Don't flatter yourself, Cody, no one was invited, we kind of eloped", Adam laughs. "Our mothers ... Yeah, can't say that they weren’t too happy about that though".

I giggle. Oh god. I think I actually like this guy. He's funny, and I can tell that he and Cody have a history together. Maybe long nights talking about me and Olivia, covering each other's backs on the field and stuff.

"Elle, I know that we just met, but can I ask you a favor?" Adam asks, suddenly being serious.

"Yeah what?" I ask.

"Could you maybe take care of Olivia while I'm gone?" He asks, starting to stroke her cheek. Anyone can see how much this boy loves his girl. "I hate to leave her alone with a newborn".

"Of course", I say, smiling at Olivia.

Cody looks at me. "I wanted to do this in a better place, I wanted to do this the right way, I wanted to make it more romantic, and cheesy but I can't", he says. "I don't have enough time, and I need to do this because you're my whole life".

And suddenly he's on his knees and I gasp. Vicky grabs my arm as she gasps and Darren’s mouth drops. What is Cody doing?

"Elle, you're my soulmate and my very best friend, you know me better than anyone else, and you make me the better person I am", Cody says, with tears in his voice. "I deeply regret my decision of joining the army simply because I joined for the wrong reasons, but nothing can change the fact that I did and now I am under contract, and something else nothing can change is my love for you. So Eleonora Margaretha Olsen, would you please do me the greatest honor of marrying me?"

I look at Cody with big overflowing eyes. Vicky is shaking my arm like a madman as she tries to speak, but Darren takes her away, holds her arms down with one big hand, and puts one hand to her mouth. He smiles at Cody and me.

"Oh Cody of course I will", I say and throw myself over him. "Your my soulmate and I couldn't picture myself with any other man ever, not even if you wouldn't make it back home".

Cody smiles big and puts the ring on my finger. I kiss him passionately and romantically.

"And for the record", I say when I pull away. "That was romantic".

Cody smiles sweetly at me as we stand up.

Olivia is smiling really big. She looks like it was a big honor to witness this. Adam lowers his phone.

"What's your number? I'm gonna send this to you", he says smiling like a fool.

I roll my eyes and snatch the phone from his hand. I put my number in and send the video to my phone. My phone buzzes when I get the video, and I hand Adam his phone.

I'm engaged! I'm engaged to the love of my life. We're getting married. We are. I know that it's going to happen. And I want a big wedding. Not for our friends and family, but for Cody. He deserves that, after this, he needs something to look forward to.

Just as I'm about to tell Cody about my plans, something in Cody's pocket starts to make a sound.

He looks at it.

"Shit..." He mumbles. "Adam..."

"I know", he says and turns to Olivia again.

"No..." She whimpers and starts to cry again.

That makes me cry again as well because I know what they mean. Cody and Adam have to leave us now.

"Baby..." Cody says and turns to me.

"No... No!" I whimper.

"Please don't be too upset baby, this is crushing me", Cody says.

I jump up in Cody’s arms and he holds me up as I crash my lips onto his and my tears drop down on his face.

I don't wanna let my baby go. I want him to be here with me. I don't want him to leave me. But he has to.

I hear someone clear his throat, and I force myself to pull away from Cody.

I jump down on the floor and take Cody’s hand as I lean my forehead onto his.

"I love you so much Cody", I cry. "Please, please come back to me".

"I promise, and I love you more than life itself", Cody tells me.

We straighten and I see that Peeta has one single tear, flowing down his cheek. I kiss it away and brush a lock of hair away from Cody’s eyes, as I smile sadly.

He smiles at me as he takes up his big bag. Adam pats Cody’s shoulder and he nods. Together they walk to the check-in.

I take Olivia’s hand and she squeezes it. Even though we just met I feel this bond grow between us right this second.

Cody and Adam look back at us and smile as they see mine and Olivia’s hands intertwined.

They check in their bags and walk through it. I stroke little Fisher over his head and Olivia leans her head on my shoulder.

There go the boys of our lives. Our soulmates and our best friends. And the only thing we can do now is to pray that they will return home alive.

I look down at my ring. A big diamond shines there. This ring is my hope for Cody’s return. Something I'm gonna take care of with my life. And something that connects me to Cody. This ring makes me Cody’s fiancée and I'm gonna marry him. Even if I'm gonna have to make my way down to Afghanistan, I'm gonna marry my soulmate. That's a promise.