Leaving Too Soon

He tried putting me into bed, but I groaned, telling him I wasn't tired. "What's the problem?" He finally asked, huffing at me. "I. . Don't want to miss you. I mean, you're being deployed and leaving in the morning. That's the earliest you've ever left before." I sniffled.

“If you want I'll wake you up when I wake up! But I must...(pauses for a moment, with a tear running down his cheek) I must go tomorrow” Jackson sighed. Then he lifted his head, we locked eyes. The dim flame of the candle flickered beside him. “Or... we could stay up all night..”

“To get lucky?” I offered. “To get high!” said Jackson as he pulled a joint from behind his ear and lit it. “Is that really a good idea before you get up so early and…you know.” ”Have to leave, you mean?” Jackson asked with a sheepish grin,taking a hit of the joint. I bit my lip.

I sighed. Jackson was about to leave tomorrow, and wants to smoke a joint. "Jackson...smoking a joint won't make you relax, it'll just feed into your nervousness." Jackson looked at me funny. "Since when did you have a degree in Psychology?" I grabbed the joint from his hand.

"We locked eyes and the guilt made me put the joint down."That was the last memory she had of him before he left that morning, she was so glad he left her note. She mouthed "I love you, too" hoping he could hear her..

Jackson felt something inside his left coat pocket & pulled out a matchbook. "Ernie's? I haven't been there in how long?" he thought. Inside the flap was a note: "We are on our 1st date. You went to the bathroom, so I am writing this to remember I am already in love with you. -D"