"Whoa William..."

Kim gasped mesmerized as she took a step inside her new home. William looked sideways at her and smiled as he stared at the surprised look on her face as she stared at the 'Welcome Home, my darling Kim' sign on the wall, on the new home that William had brought for the two of them.

"It is so beau'iful." Kim whispered and turned her head to the side. William chuckled and he put his arms around her from her back and leaned his head on her shoulder.

"It's nothing compared to what I have here for you, darling." He whispered pressing a kiss onto her shoulder. Kim chuckled as he saw that he was touching his heart and she slowly released herself from his hold.

"Thank you, love." She whispered. "Thank you so much for comin' into my life." Kim's eyes stared deep into William's. She smiled softly as she put her arms around his neck and stood on the tips of his toes.

"I love you..."

William closed his eyes as she whispered and pressed her lips onto his. He knew that he had found the best girl for him, because the love she was showering him with was more than he could ever hope for being on the receiving end of love. He tightened his hold around her and lifted her off of her feet as Kim played with his hair, still not releasing him.

William put his arm under her knees and lifted her up onto his arms as Kim laughed shyly. He chuckled looking at her reddened face and pressed a kiss on her forehead. Kim's face was looking like an apple as William locked the door securely behind them and lifted her off to their room. Kim tightened her hold around his neck as he closed the door behind them on their first day as a married couple.

*

Kim knew that her life could not be better. She had had the best days of her life as she was spending it with William, and it was just a week after their wedding as well. William had taken a leave for about a week due to his wedding and he had not even let her go out of his view for even a second for the time they were together. He had brought the new home somewhere closer to the camp so that he was able to come and visit her whenever he needed.

William pushed a strand of Kim's hair behind her ear as she cuddled herself closer towards him. He chuckled as she hid her face comfortingly on his shoulder and William put his arm around her as she breathed calmly. It was the last day of his leave, and he wondered how long it would be until he would be able to see her once more. He was already starting to regret the days he will have to spend alone in the camp where he will be waking up to the firing sounds from gun pits, instead of the beautiful girl, whom he was looking at as the first view of the morning for him.

William smiled and leaned his head back on the pillow. Kim was not woken up yet and he too was not in a hurry. He turned towards her and pulled her close as he stared into her beautiful face. He knew that he could spend forever falling into her beauty and never get tired of it. He heaved a deep sigh and wondered how long it will be, until he will finally be able to hold her in his arms.

"Goo' mornin' love."

William blinked and looked up. He had not known that he was asleep and rubbed his eyes as Kim's face came into focus.

"Good morning, my darling." William smiled as he whispered and leaned on his elbow and pressed a long kiss on her forehead. Kim chuckled and tied her loosened hair into a knot as she stood up and went towards the washroom. William stared at her as his heart pained of thinking about the near future and he fell back on the bed, rubbing his eyes tight. He knew that what was coming was inevitable and that he had to face it whether he wanted to or not.

"Wha' are you thinkin' abou' Will?"

Kim gently placed her hand over William's and shook it. They were having lunch under the tree on their garden, and he was uncharacteristically silent.

William looked up at Kim's questioning stare and shook his head.

"Nothing darling." He said and conjured up a tight lipped smile onto his face. Kim did not reply. She kept on staring at him as though he had remained silent instead of replying to her.

"Are you thinkin' abou' tomorrow?" Kim asked, as her eyes searched through his blue ones. William sighed and closed his eyes tightly. He wondered how she was able to read him like a book and looked guiltily at her.

"Yes darling," he replied. "I don't want to leave you." He whispered in a small voice.

Kim felt her heart shatter. She herself had tried so hard to not to think about what the future held for them and looking at his worried about it had been enough to bring the thoughts of uncertainty into her heart once more. She had known that all that was happening to her was too good to be true. She had never lasted this long happily, and she knew that her happiness will come to an end the next day, when William leaves back for work.

Kim looked down at her fingers. William was gripping them too hard, as though he was afraid of letting go. She smiled and gently drew circles on his hand with her thumb. She wanted to say something to him, anything that will make his worry disappear, but she did not trust herself. She doubted herself and wondered whether her trembling voice will betray her. Building up some courage into her heart, Kim pulled a smile onto her lips and looked up at William.

"We will have to face tomorrow, love." She whispered. William looked at her and saw that her eyes were glistening with tears.

"I know darling. But I can't let go of you." He whispered. His eyes searching through hers, looking for comfort. "I don't want to let go of you."

William did not understand why, but he was feeling as though this will be the last time, he will ever hold her like this. Even though he had kept it a secret ever since he had got to know about it, even though he had not said anything about it to either Tom or Kim, the only two people whom he trusted more than his life, the words Old Smith had written on the note he had pressed on to his hand had troubled him constantly.

William's eyes searched through Kim's as he gently rubbed her soft cheek. Kim smiled at him, hiding her tears at bay, and stared into his eyes. She felt his roughened palm, that had been less roughened the previous time they were together. In her life, before she had met William, Kim had not given any thoughts about the war. But ever since meeting him, Kim had known how severe the situation was. Day by day, the war worsened and the death toll of both soldiers and civilians were growing up and Kim shuddered every time any news fell into her ears about it. Even though she was trying to not to think about the war when he was with her, Kim was finding it unable to do so, for the scars on his hand and face was increasing day by day. Kim took William's hand in hers and looked at their knotted fingers on her lap.

"Will," she said. She looked up at his face. William was staring deep into her eyes. "Promise me tha' you will come back to me." Her eyes begged as she stared into his. William felt his breath constrict on his throat as he looked at the earnest look on her eyes. He felt his eyes burn behind his lids and closed his eyes. William knew that the promise she was asking was so simple yet so severe at the same time. He knew that he wanted to say yes. He wanted to promise her and ensure that he will come back to her, whatever it takes, but he knew that he could not.

"Promise me, Will."

Kim leaned her chin on his chest and looked at him. Her eyes were staring determinedly into his. She blinked her tears away as she felt a drop of tear fall onto the top of her nose. She gulped her breath and looked at him and saw that he was closing his eyes tight, and tears were glistening on his cheek. Kim bit her lips and pressed her cheek onto his chest and put her arms around him.

"I will come back to you, my darling." William said after a long time. Kim felt his racing heart beat as he pressed his cheek onto the top of her head. "I don't know whether I will be able to come back to you in this life, darling." Kim closed her eyes as her lips trembled harder. "But I promise to find you in whatever life we may be." William shuddered and stroked Kim's head lovingly. "Please stay for me, until I find you, darling." William said and tightened his hold around her shoulders as Kim too pressed herself closer towards his chest. In her future full of uncertainty, Kim felt her heart believing his words, for it was words that were beyond a promise for her.

*

"Good bye darling, please take care of yourself."

William leaned his forehead onto Kim's as he said his parting goodbyes for her. She did not look up at him as she felt her tears root down along her cheeks. She gripped his hand tighter as he held her face in his hands.

"Look at me," William whispered. He wanted to look at her eyes for one last time before he went away. Kim shook her head no. She knew that she did not have enough courage in her heart to look at him.

"Look at me," William said once more begging her to look at him. Kim shook her head.

"I can' Will," she whispered as her voice shook. William closed his eyes tight and pressed his lips onto her forehead.

"I want to look at your eyes for one last time darling." He whispered stealthily as he felt his voice break.

Kim shook her head and blinked fast. "Don' say it like tha'." She whispered and taking a deep breath into her heart, she blinked harder and looked up at him.

"I love you, my love."

Kim whispered and opened her eyes. William nodded and he too opened his eyes as he pressed his forehead onto hers.

"I love you too, my darling."

William whispered as he looked into her eyes. As her chocolate brown eyes found his blue ones, William knew that it will not be the last time that he will look into her eyes.

"Remember my eyes darling, in whatever form I may be, my eyes will find yours."

William whispered and pressed a longing kiss on her forehead before she finally let go of him. William stepped back and walked away from her, staring at her as he closed the kissing gate behind him. He smiled at her for one last time and waved his hand in farewell before he turned and walked towards the camp, adjusting his cap straighter on his head.

*

Kim let out the tears she had been holding on for so long as William disappeared from her point of view. She did not know why, but the words he had said were too much for her poor heart. She had known that there was a secret that William had kept from her, and she had a hunch that it was the reason why he was feeling too broken. Kim knew that William had made sure that Kim was safe, and not alone even though she was in a new home. Tom's mother was in the neighborhood and when they had come to the new home, his mother had come to greet them and looking at her motherly face had been enough for Kim to know that she will have a companion to remove her loneliness from her future.

Kim did not know how long time had passed. She thought that Wiliam might have reached the camp safely as the evening was falling. She locked the doors safely behind her and leaned back on the door as she stared at their framed photograph which was over the cupboard. She walked towards it and took it into her hands. She touched William's face on the photo as he was staring lovingly into her face. They had taken the photo on their wedding day when they were coming to the home. William had said that they needed a photo to fix the moment into the future and had gone to the studio on the way. A smile escaped through her lips as she looked at William on the photo. When she was staring straight into the camera, he was putting his arm around her shoulders and was leaning his head down, staring at her.

"I miss you alrea'y darlin'."

Kim whispered as she pressed the photo on to her chest and closed her eyes. A tear rooted down along her cheek as she sent a silent prayed to God, begging Him asking to protect William, wherever he may be.

*

Days turned to weeks, and weeks turned to months.

It was already two months since Kim's wedding, and she was growing lonelier in the home. Tom's mother was visiting her daily and Kim knew that the woman who was living alone herself was starting to grow on her. She had not heard from William ever since he had left her two months ago. Tom had come to pay her a visit, about a week after his departure and had said that he was sent to China on a mission and the exact date of his return was not known. Kim did not know where China was, but from what Tom had said and by the way of how troubled he had looked when he was saying it, Kim had known that William was facing things someplace where the situation was too critical.

"He asked me to give you this."

Tom had given Kim a bag and she had gulped down the questions that were burning through her eyes. Tom had left as soon as Kim had nodded, and he had made sure that she had understood the situation.

Kim had opened the bag once Tom had left her home. She had expected any notes from him, but she had found it empty of any. He had sent her a blue shirt of his with a single rose over it. Kim had taken the rose with trembling fingers and had kept it closer to her heart as she had heaved onto the floor, with her heart feeling heavier.

Kim wiped her eyes and looked up from the book she was reading. The pains she had felt in her body after her uncle had beaten her up was all but a shadow on her skin now. She had not had the need to go back to her tailor shop once again and she did not even care what had become of it. The place had had enough memories for her to last a life time and William had even said her that she does not want to tailor uniforms or dresses any more. His salary he was receiving as a soldier was more than enough for her. Kim knew that she did not need the money. The money she had received for the two months were more than the total sum of money her young self had ever received. Kim knew that she did not need the money at all. If she had him with her, that was all she ever needed.

*

Kim laid down on the bed and closed her eyes as she pulled the blanket around her. She turned to her side and stared at the empty space beside her. Her tearful eyes smiled as William's smiling face came into her view.

"I miss you darlin'." Kim whispered as usual into the night and closed her eyes. She turned this way and that as she tried to fall into sleep. It was usual for her to not to fall into sleep quickly as she had been spending all her waking hours worried about William, but that night, everything was feeling different for her. She did not know why, but there was a troubling thought on her mind ever since that evening and Kim was not able to put her finger on what the problem was.

"Wherever are you, William?"

Kim sat up straight on her bed. She rubbed her forehead and closed her eyes as she leaned her head back on the pillow. She drank some water from the jug beside her bed and stared into the empty night.

Kim rubbed her forehead tightly. Her head was feeling as though it was about to burst, and she was having trouble concentrating on what was going through her mind. Kim shuddered in the cold night and pulled the blanket closer towards her. She did not know why, but that night, Kim found herself missing William more than she had been feeling ever since he had gone back to work. Kim got down slowly from the bed and went towards their almirah. She opened it and stared at the shirts that were left behind. Her eyes fell on the blue shirt that was left on the top of the pile, which he had sent her with Tom. Kim smiled and she changed her dress onto his shirt and a pair of his trousers. She was finding it comfortable rather than all of the clothes she had ever worn. Knowing that someday at some time William had been wearing that was comforting enough for her. Even though it was never the same as having him closer to her, Kim found as though she was feeling one step closer towards William whenever she put on his clothes.

Kim hugged herself as she smelled him on his clothes. She got into the bed once more and pulled the blanket closer around her. She had just laid her head back on the pillow when she felt her insides squirm and bile rise up to her throat. Kim threw the blanket aside and rushed towards the washroom and emptied her stomach onto the sink. Kim panted hard as she pressed her hand onto her chest. She was feeling feverish, and she wondered what had gotten into her. She had never grown sick, and Kim found herself missing him more badly. She knew that he will never leave her side if he knew in which condition she was now.

Kim emptied a bottle of water, and she went towards the bed once more. Her head was feeling as though it was about to burst, and she rubbed it harder. She felt her stomach empty, but she did not feel hunger as well. She had lost her appetite for some time now and she wondered whether she had eaten anything that was not good to her stomach.

"Come back soon darlin'."

Kim whispered as she laid down on the bed and hugged herself closer to sleep. The cold night was starting to make her shiver but with William's clothes on her, she was feeling a comfort that she had missed that day. She closed her eyes and dreamed of being in his arms when her eyes started to droop, and her breath turned even.

Kim's sickness did not end soon. She had been feeling sick for more than a week now, but she had not wanted to even go to a doctor. She had thought that her sickness will turn well once she got used to it, but she had found herself emptying her stomach on the sink more than five times a day.

"Are you sure that you are okay, dear?" Tom's mother asked, as she held back Kim's hair while she emptied her stomach once more. She was paying her a visit and had seen how sick she had looked when she had just turned sick once more.

"Come, come here carefully dear." She said and helped Kim to a chair. She brought a cup of hot water for her and gave it to Kim.

"Have you been sick often?" she asked. Kim looked up at the woman. She wondered about what she had asked and nodded.

"Yeah, Linda." She spoke. "It's been a while now." Kim pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Why?" she asked, looking up at her motherly face.

Linda, Tom's mother, scratched her eyebrows.

"Would you mind if I checked your pulse, darling?" she asked.

Kim bit her lips. She had had the same thought on her mind for some time now, but she found herself not wanting to know the truth. She nodded as Linda came closer and took her hand in hers. She pressed her fingers onto her pulse and waited.

Kim stared at the woman. She saw the small smile which crept up on her face and Kim did not like it at all.

"Why are you smilin'?" she asked.

"Congratulations dear," Linda said, stroking her head. "You are pregnant."

Kim felt as though it was a blow onto her head. She felt her lips tremble and her fingers shook in fear. She heard what Linda said, but she did not want to understand what she had said.

"I am wha'?" she stumbled as her eyes grew large in fear. Linda looked up smiling at her, but her face fell as she looked how afraid the girl looked.

"You are pregnant, Kim." She repeated. "Are you okay, dear?" she asked taking her trembling fingers into her hands.

"No, I am no' okay." Kim stuttered as she gripped Linda's hand as though she was afraid of letting go and looked up at her.

"How are you feeling, Kim?" Linda asked softly, as she nodded understandingly and gently rubbed her cheek.

"I miss him."

Kim closed her eyes as she felt empty inside her heart. She was having a baby. She was having his baby. Alone...

She was not ready to be a mother yet. She did not have him with her. if he was with her, Kim knew that William will be more than happy to hear the news, but the uncertainty of not even knowing where he was or what he was doing, or whether he will come back, Kim knew that her near future will not be easy anymore.

"I know dear, I know." Linda whispered softly and she put her arms comfortingly around her shoulders as tears rooted down along her cheeks.

"I miss him so badly."

Kim shuddered as she trembled in tears. It was comforting to have at least Linda with her at the moment, but she knew that she was not William. Things will be so different for her if she had him with her. But him being far away, with his baby inside her, making her miss him so badly, was not making things easier for Kim. Even though she had just known that she was pregnant, Kim knew that she would love the baby no matter what. She had never thought of being able to love someone after her heart being so devoted to the love of her life, but as soon as the words had said out from Linda, Kim had found that there was a place in her heart that she was finding herself devoting to her unborn baby.

"I miss you, Will."

Kim whispered as Linda closed the door behind herself. It had taken her a longer time for her to pull up herself together, but when she had finally done, Linda had left her alone, after making sure that Kim was alright. She had even advised her on essentials to concentrate on when she was pregnant and had promised to come back the next day.

As Kim stared at the empty room around her, she gently placed her hand over her stomach as she looked down at her flat stomach. She wondered how excited William would be if he hears about her pregnancy. She did not know when she will be able to tell him of the news and wondered whether she will ever be able to tell him of the news herself. She found herself looking forward to being with him more and more as time went on and sent a silent prayer to God, as she prayed for his safety and for his wellbeing.

"Come back soon to me my darling," she closed her eyes as she hugged his shirt around her. She had found the shirt even more comforting that day and closed her eyes as she dreamed of being in the hands of her love.