Chapter 10

“Afghanistan!?” Her mother screeched as Julia told them her news a few days later.

She had waited to hear back from the director of the programme before she said anything; she didn’t dare get her hopes up only to have them crushed again.

But he had rung her that morning to inform her that she had been accepted.

In fact, Julia had just narrowly missed the deadline. Maybe she had luck on her side after all, but she wasn’t counting on it.

“You are not going,” her mother stormed her to feet, shaking her head defiantly as she ripped the information leaflet out of Julia’s hands.

And before Julia could do anything Katherine had thrown the leaflet in the bin.

“Mum!” Julia exclaimed in anger, reaching around her for the bin but Katherine placed her hands firmly on Julia’s shoulders, holding her back, “Why would you go back there!? And who put such a ridiculous idea in your head?”

“Moth-” Julia started to speak before her mother came to her own conclusions but it was already too late.

“It was Marcus, wasn’t it!?” Katherine screamed in anger, sharing a look of outrage with her husband before turning back to Julia, “I knew I should never have let him back into your life. All he has ever done is lead you into trouble!”

Julia was begging her to be quiet; Marcus was just upstairs in her bedroom; he could hear everything her mother was saying and Julia felt, not only embarrassed for him but for herself as well.

What must it feel like to be hated by your fiancés family? Julia frowned at the thought; it didn’t feel right saying ‘fiancé because Jules had been the girlfriend. Not Julia.

“It wasn’t Marcus,” Julia wrenched her arm from her mother’s grip and retrieved the leaflet from the trash, anger quickly seeping in, but as she turned back she could tell that Katherine didn’t believe her.

Her mother would always hate Marcus. She would always blame him for Julia’s ‘accident’.

“Katherine,” her father spoke softly from across the room where he was sat opposite her brother, “Come and sit down,”

“But-” Katherine started to argue but Julia’s father simply gave her one of his stern looks which said he wasn’t in the mood.

And the more this went on Julia was deeply regretting telling them. She should have just left a note on her bed like they did in the movies.

“I didn’t mean to upset you,” Julia said through clenched teeth, remembering Marc’s words on taking the higher ground with her mother but it difficult.

She could only imagine the wide grin that was on his lips as he listened in from upstairs.

“And I hoped that you would support me in this,” Julia guessed she was hoping for too much.

Sharing an awkward glance with Rhys who simply sat on the sofa, watching everything unfold with detachment, “I’m leaving in the morning.”

Leaving the leaflet on the coffee table, Julia turned and walked up the stairs to her bedroom where Marcus was waiting for her.

At least he supported her and soon she would be with a group of people just like herself.

* * *

“What’s it like over there?” Julia asked Marcus after nearly ten minutes of silence and staring out at the black ocean.

As it grew nearer Julia’s heart started to race in fear. All she remembered about Afghanistan was being blown up.

It wasn’t exactly encouraging.

Marcus looked across at her as they sat on the edge of the wall beneath the moon, “It’s . . . dry,”

Julia hadn’t been expecting that but she nodded her head. It made sense.

“There’s no privacy, months away from your family, endless sand and the heat is formidable,”

“You’re not trying to change my mind, are you?” Julia laughed nervously but Marcus just looked her straight in the eyes, his expression soft.

“It’s the best place in the world,” Marcus smiled softly, “It’s a home away from home,”

Julia was struck by his devotion to the marines as she took a deep breath and looked out at the ocean, that, very shortly, she would be crossing.

“Let’s just hope that your family is nothing like my family,” Julia tried to insert a bit of humour but Marcus just reached over and clasped his hand over hers.

“You’ll be fine,” Marcus smiled, “Your family will come around when they see how much you love it and, who knows, you may see me over there,”

“You’re going back?” Julia snapped her head up, her brows furrowing as she hadn’t expected it.

“I was only granted compassionate leave for two weeks,” Marcus shrugged a shoulder, brushing it off as if it meant nothing, “I have to go back to my unit and finish my tour,”

Julia suddenly thought about him going back into harm’s way and she didn’t like the way it felt.

She suddenly knew how her mother and father must have felt when she left all those years ago to join up.

“Hey, don’t worry,” Marc chuckled as he tried to brighten the mood, “I have Thompson and Ambrose to look after; I probably won’t even notice where I am,”

Julia knew he was trying to comfort her but she could tell that underneath his bravado he was still worried about leaving.

Because there was always a possibility that he may never return.

Suddenly Julia was feeling grateful for just having lost her memory and ashamed that she had only just realised that.

* * *

Julia lifted her bag into the taxi, closing the boot lid, before she turned around and was immediately engulfed by her brother, Rhys.

“I didn’t get to do this last time,” He whispered in her ear as Julia sunk her face into the side of his neck and wrapped her arms around him, he was younger than her and it felt good to have someone support her, “Come back safe this time,”

“I’ll- I’ll try,” Julia’s throat caught as he finally released her and she turned to her dad.

“Thank you,” Julia smiled up at the man who had raised her, “For everything and for accepting this,”

“You just come back in one piece,” Her father muttered, his lower jaw quivering as he fought the tears back so he simply hugged her close.

Julia looked at her mother as she hugged her father but she formidable, her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes shut off.

“Mum?” Julia slipped out of her father’s embrace and turned to her mother.

“When you come back crying don’t say that I never warned you,” Katherine took a deep breath.

“Katherine,” Her father snapped, not humoured by her actions.

“It’s alright,” Julia stepped back, knowing her mother was never going to accept her leaving, “I’ll see you all in three months,”

“-We’re here!” the taxi driver announced as he yanked on the hand brake, forcing Julia out of her daydream.

The farewell with her family had been bitter and she wished she could have spent some more time with them before she left but it was too late.

Wiping away the tears that started to pool in her eyes, she looked out of the window at the base they were stopped in front of.

Manned barriers prevented them from accessing the base as she stepped out of the car, the pre-paid taxi driver dropping the duffel bag at her feet.

“Good luck, lassie,” the Scottish driver gave her a mock salute as he jumped into his car and sped away, leaving Julia stranded.

Hoisting the duffel bag over her shoulder, she took a deep breath made her first step towards her future and her past.