Georgia On My Mind - Second Generation - Book One

Chapter 12 - Life Goes On

THREE MONTHS LATER...

John Luke's POV

Damn, Finally! I look at my bank account on the computer and see a large sum of money hit. It's been more than seven months since I joined the Marines, and there's been a huge mix up in my pay, and it's been hell to get it corrected. It sucks because I can't just up and quit the Marines because I haven't gotten paid. I'm being shipped to Afghanistan here in a week, and I haven't been able to call or text anyone. The only one I'm concerned with is Georgia. I hope she's getting my letters. I just sent her two so far. Hopefully, she's going to write me back.

I couldn't pay my cell phone bill, so it was disconnected. Thankfully, that's the only bill I had. I miss Georgia so much. I lay awake at night and imagine her on top of me, her skin pressed against mine. Frankly, it's the only thing that is getting me through this right now. I haven't talked to my parents at all, nor do I have the desire; I am too pissed at them right now. Georgia would be the only one that I even give a damn about. Don't give up on me now, baby. Maybe she can come and live with me once I get back from overseas. She can go to school if she wants, and I'll take care of her. Whatever she wants, I'll make it happen. I wonder what she's doing right now. I wonder if she misses me. I wonder if she'd even consider coming to live with me on base. I close my eyes and try to picture her beautiful face-Goodnight, baby. I love you.

Georgia's POV

It's getting close to Christmas, and I haven't heard from John Luke since he left. I overhead Seth and Brie tell Momma and Daddy that he hasn't called them either. They said his phone was disconnected; Seth and Brie were worried about him. They are hoping he will reach out to them soon.

I told them I haven't heard from him either, but if he contacts me, I'd let them know. It kills me that I haven't been able to reach him. I'm currently on a break from school for the holidays, and I'm showing now, so it's no secret that I am pregnant.

Daddy has embraced the idea that there will be a new addition to the Hudson household. Baby girl is going to have to share a bedroom with me since we live in a three-bedroom house. We will get the crib set up in my bedroom.

Since all this went down, I recently got super close to Harper, John Luke's little sister. She has been coming over and hanging out with me a lot. It's nice having her around. It makes me feel like I have a piece of him with me. Pretty soon, I'll have a piece of him forever. Harper is great, though. She's mature for her age. She's about five years younger than me, but I don't mind.

Starlah and Michael had been hot and heavy since the frat party a few months ago. I haven't spent much time with Starlah since they found out I was pregnant. I was okay with that. I didn't care to go to frat parties anyway, and that's pretty much all they wanted to do.

After the holidays, I anxiously await my little girl's arrival. I'm due March 23rd. I decide I'm going to name her Scarlett Presley Hudson. I'd ask John Luke his opinion on the name if he would contact me. I guess he has no say in it since I've not heard from him. I'm having this horrible feeling that maybe he has forgotten about me and moved on. I wish I knew for sure. If he wanted to contact me at the very least by letters, he indeed could have. He hasn't even done that.

I can't say I regret losing my virginity to him; because I love him, but I wonder if all those years we spent together if it was all a waste of time? Is it possible he met another girl while he's been away? How can he wash his hands of me so fast? I thought I meant more to him than that. I guess not!

THREE MONTHS LATER...

Before I knew it, I was getting close to my due date. Momma threw me a baby shower, and I scored some nice gifts. Starlah came to my baby shower to meet everyone, and they all liked her. She was getting serious with Michael, and they recently moved in together. I was happy for her, although I was sad that I would be a single mom now, having to do this all by myself. Hopefully, I can move on and meet someone who can accept me and the excess baggage of being a single mother.

On the night of March 19th, my water broke in bed. I ran into my parent's room to wake them up; they immediately take me to the hospital. About twelve hours later, Scarlett Presley Hudson was born at 11:31 am. She was 7 lbs 14 oz and as perfect as she could be. Daddy was over the moon for her; he called her Papaw's Princess. She was the most beautiful baby I have ever laid eyes on.

I got her home, and we started our routine, but she was exhausting. I was getting up every few hours and feed her. Lord have mercy, babies are a lot of work! To think, Aunt Maggie had two of them at once. Everyone chipped in to help me through. Even my knucklehead brother helped me out when I was in a pinch. He was a good uncle to her. I was happy, but I wasn't working anymore. My main focus was finishing school and raising a baby, so that's what I did.

THREE YEARS LATER...

I finally graduated with a bachelor's degree in business. I started dating Mitch exclusively; not only was he good to me, but he was good to Scarlett as well. He played with her all the time; he even played dress-up with her. She adored him, and so did my family. Lately, I had been thinking of what I wanted to do as far as a career. I decided that I would start my own Staffing Company in Laurel. We didn't have anything like that here, and I was very good at meeting people. Admittingly, I was using my popularity with having the senator's son as my boyfriend to get things going. People in town knew who he was, so it didn't take long before my business took off. I opened a small office across town and hired a secretary named Olive. She was a sweet lady, but I knew she wouldn't be working for long for me since she was in her seventies. I loved her to death, though. She made the office environment more enjoyable. I pretty much gave up hope of ever seeing John Luke again. It's been nearly three years and nothing. His parents were beside themselves with grief because he never reached out to them. They were still hopeful one day; he would come back home.

Miss Scarlett was such a beautiful child. I was worried that if anyone ever really put two and two together, they could figure out that John Luke is the Father. Sometimes I felt like Brie suspected she was his. Just something in her demeanor around Scarlett made me think that she sensed a familiarity in her. Scarlett is dead-on John Luke as a child except for the eyes. She has my eyes. I wish he could only see her. I'm confident he'd fall in love with her like the rest of us have.

One day, as I was flipping through the channels, I came across a news bulletin that reported a massive explosion in Afghanistan that killed five U.S. soldiers. Just by chance, the camera zoomed in on one of the soldiers in the background, and my heart sank. It was John Luke in the flesh! I would know those beautiful eyes anywhere. It nearly knocked the wind out of me when I saw him. I recorded it and called Momma right away, and she immediately called Brie. They were happy he was okay, at least. I found myself watching that clip repeatedly. I missed him so much. I secretly grieved for a while after that; I wanted so desperately to see him. I hoped that whatever he was doing made him happy and fulfilled, but I had to keep my head held high and move on.

John Luke's POV

I'm so sick of being here in Afghanistan. It's my second tour, and it sucks! It's so fucking hot over here, but I have nothing else better to do. I figured I'd re-enlist once my contract was up. I had made friends with a couple of guys here. I would casually hook up with this girl a time or two while I was on base, a marine, like me. It was nothing serious; she was just a warm body to me. I compared every woman I met to Georgia. I realize now I have to quit doing that. Georgia and I were a thing of the past. She doesn't want anything to do with me. I sent her letters every week for almost a year, and she never responded to one. I would have married that girl in a heartbeat; I was so in love with her. I wasn't so sure I wasn't still after all this time. It's hard to forget about your soul mate. The most beautiful and perfect girl I'd ever known. I hope that whatever she is doing with her life, that she is happy and fulfilled.