Courtney wasn’t much to look at, but she came with a pedigree and career prospects. Eleanor tried everything to set them up, but Mike wouldn’t budge. He loved Sarah, and that was that. After graduation, he stopped listening to his mother’s “advice” altogether.
Eleanor had planned to pull strings to get him into a top-tier state university, but Mike surprised everyone by enlisting in the Army. He wanted to prove himself, to become a man on his own terms, and figure out his career later. No amount of Eleanor’s tears or guilt trips could change his mind.
Desperate, Eleanor even tried to talk to the local recruiter about “options” for her son, but the sergeant just told her she should be proud of him. Mike wasn’t looking for a way out; he was looking for a way up.
Patriotism was part of it, but Mike had another motive—he hoped that a year or two away would give his mother time to accept Sarah. He planned to marry her the moment he got back, hoping her loyalty would finally prove her worth to his family.
He never doubted Sarah for a second. Their last night together was spent just like graduation—quietly, by the river. “Mike, I love you so much,” she whispered. “If you want… we don’t have to wait.”
“I want to more than anything,” Mike replied honestly. “But I want to do this right. I’ll serve my time, we’ll have a real wedding, and then we’ll start our life. I want you to be my wife first.” Sarah smiled, grateful for his integrity. She promised to wait for him. It was the right way to do things.
But now, listening to Eleanor’s insults at the station, Sarah felt a cold dread. How could someone be so hateful? She had nothing but love for Mike, and she intended to prove it. Six months passed quickly.
Mike was in the 82nd Airborne, and the rigors of jump school suited him. Sarah wrote to him every week, and they talked whenever he could get to a phone. His parents sent regular care packages, too. But then, suddenly, the letters from Sarah stopped.
His messages went unreturned, and her phone seemed to be disconnected. At first, Mike tried to stay positive, but eventually, he called his old friend Rick to see what was going on. Rick was still in town, working at a local garage, and usually knew the gossip.
To Mike’s surprise, Rick said he hadn’t seen Sarah around in weeks. Shortly after, Eleanor called, and Mike finally asked her about Sarah. What she told him left him reeling.
“I didn’t want to be the one to tell you, honey,” Eleanor said, her voice dripping with fake sympathy. “But my gut was right. That girl didn’t have the character to wait for a soldier.” “Mom, stop it. I don’t believe you,” Mike snapped. “You’re just trying to ruin things.”
“Mike, she’s pregnant,” Eleanor said flatly. “What?” Mike felt the air leave his lungs. “She’s showing, Mike. I saw her at the grocery store the other day. She couldn’t even look me in the eye. It’s a disgrace. She must have found someone else the minute you left.” Mike wanted to scream that it was a lie, but the math was haunting him. They had never been intimate. If she was pregnant, it wasn’t his.
The news broke him. He ended up in the base hospital with a high fever that the doctors couldn’t explain—it was pure, physical stress. A week later, the crisis passed. Mike buried his pain deep, hardened his heart, and erased Sarah from his life.
