1 Saying Goodbyes

I am sitting on a train, on my way to my parent's house, for my last visit for maybe a year. I look back on my life and I wonder if I made the right choices. If I could change anything, what would I change? I think I would have made this choice much earlier in my life. I've spent too much time doing worthless things and now it is my turn to give some time of myself to a country I love.

I am a thirty-year-old woman and all I have done so far was working in a hospital, where there is a lot of medical staff and doctors that can help sick people. But I know there is a place that needs us much more than here in this comfortable city.

I have decided to enlist with the Navy and we are deploying in one week. I know that they need a trauma surgeon that can work in the field with them and I know that I would be able to help them.

I have reached the train station and my dad is already waiting for me outside. I take all my luggage and hop off the train.

"Dad!"

"Amy, honey, you are home!"

My dad has been my pillar of strength throughout my life. He has been there for me when times were tough and when times were good. I never got to meet my mother and she died giving birth to me but I heard that she was one hell of a woman. My dad would often say to me that I am just like my mother. I wish could have met her, she sounds like one hell of a woman. Always brave and caring.

"Is Jack coming?"

"Oh, you know him. Your brother is out with a girl and will probably be back for dinner"

I laugh inside my heart because I know my brother always brings home a different girl. He has never brought back the same girl, one day after the other. I remember how I never use to waste my time getting to know them because I knew tomorrow it will be someone else. We have talked about this before but he says he has no plans of becoming a husband.

We get into the limo and I can not believe the driver, is still the driver from my childhood and is still driving for my dad.

"Dad, I can not believe you still let Ted drive for you?"

"Honey, you know that I can not leave Ted jobless"

Just then Ted turns around and looks back while smiling.

"Miss Michaels, I really do enjoy working for your dad"

"I know you do enjoy it but he can not work you to the bone"

We all laugh at my remark while knowing that my dad treats his employees like his children. There is much to say about Mr. Michaels but one thing they can never say about him is that he does not look after his employees. It is not easy being a CEO of a multi-million dollar company and still treat your employees like your children that must say something about you as a person, something about my dad.

You drive down the familiar streets. You have a lot of memories in this city. Not all of the memories are necessarily good memories but it of your partying days. You were quite the rebel when you were younger but luckily you came to your senses and decided to become a trauma surgeon.

The hospital was not very happy to hear that one of their best surgeons is going to leave them for the Navy. I am a surgeon that brought a lot of money to the hospital and my name surely did do its part in contributing to the hospital.

They were clearly after the money that I brought in and do not care about the soldiers that risk their lives every day to keep this country safe. It is because of them that these hospital big shots get to sleep safely in their beds every night.

We turn into the driveway of the house that I used to call home. Unfortunately, I can not say that I am from humble beginnings but I have made sure that everyone knows that I am no different from them. Then someone comes to greet us at the door, who I see as my mother.

"Ahh, Miss Michaels, welcome home"

This is Maggie. She is probably the best thing that has happened to me in my life. She has taught me how to become a woman. She helped me through puberty, through boyfriend troubles and I can not even remember what else. Without her in my life, I would have never come to my senses.

"I have missed you so much!"

"I have missed you too and now you are also leaving us…"

"I am sorry Maggie but you know I have to do this"

"I know and I will not expect anything less from you. Now, come on in, I have coffee ready"

You walk towards the kitchen and Maggie gladly takes your luggage up to your room. I feel bad that she has to take up my luggage but she insisted that she wanted to check if all my clothes are still clean and if I have all the clothes that I would need to go to the Navy. She has always been this overprotective of me.

I sit with my dad and chat about old times and the hospital, and enjoy catching up with him. I could always share my heart with him and he always had sound advice for me. It is not long when my brother decides to pitch up and this time without a girl on his arm.

"Are you sick?"

He looks at me with a frown on his face.

"No? Why do you ask?"

"Cause you do not have a girl glued around your arm?"

"Ha ha, did you join a comedy club while you were gone?"

He pulls me in for a hug and he holds on a bit longer than usual. He is probably going to miss me very much as we are twins and he will not be the only one. I will be missing him even more. Of course, he will never say those words to my face. He is way too proud for that.

"So you are leaving us?"

"Yeah, it looks that way. You going to miss me too much, you know that brother?"

"Nah, I think you are on drugs with your crazy talk"

You all laugh and have a good time. Then the doorbell rings and Maggie open the door.

"It looks like someone came to say goodbye to you too, Amy"

I stand up and eagerly walk to the door. The man that stands before me takes my breath away.

"What are you doing here?"