Airport Runway- Flash Fiction- Ann's Challenge

Janie had been sitting at the airport runway for at least four hours. Joe her husband was supposed to arrive three hours ago.

She remembers him telling her so many times, " In the air force you must hurry-up and wait. " She also remembers so well the day his Military cargo plane took off. He'd been home on leave for two weeks. They'd had so much fun getting reacquainted.

When they first met he was in uniform and he only had a few days before his unit was being shipped to Afghanistan.

Thinking back they'd had a whirlwind romance, and they both knew they belonged together. Joe proposed and they flew to Vegas to be married at a Elvis' Wedding Chapel. The best part of it all was being escorted in a pink Cadillac. Talk about being on cloud nine!

Joe and Janie did everything at warp speed, so little time to savor their togetherness. Somehow he always found time to write while he was serving in the air force. Janie read and reread his letters everyday with tears flowing. She missed him terribly.

Their plans were thought out carefully. He was going back to college using the GI Bill to further his education. He wanted to study mechanical engineering. Janie had already finished her BS in nursing, so they were on top of the world!

As Janie sat gazing at the clouds, she saw an airplane approaching. Her heart was racing. Joe was coming home.

Six uniformed air force men appeared, carrying a flag draped casket.

Her time of waiting was over, only the heartache would last a lifetime.