Christie’s tale or The third leg of the triangle The End

The final part to the story form Christie’s perspective.

Not long after Christie’s relationship with Eddie imploded, Hailey called her with exciting news. The guy she had met the previous year wanted to make their relationship exclusive. Hailey was sure that she had found her future husband.
Christie was pleased for her, but at the same time felt a slight twinge of envy. Hailey always seemed so lucky at love, while she seemed to keep finding the wrong guys.
Hailey, ever the optimist, was just sure that Christie would meet the right guy soon.
How ironic. Christie thought. I’ve known the right guy forever, but was too blind to see it when I had him.
Without being distracted by a significant relationship, Christie graduated with honors, and enrolled in the MBA program. She spent the summer in Durham, interning for an investment firm, when her mom called her one morning.
“Mom, I can’t talk, I have to get to work, can I call you later?”
Christie loved her mother, but sometimes she just didn’t seem to understand that she had things to do, and would keep her on the phone forever.
“Chris is being deployed to Iraq soon.”
Christie stopped dead in her tracks.
“But … I thought he was a computer technician. Why would he go there?”
“I guess they thought he needed to go. His mom seems to think he’ll be okay, but I’m not so sure, you hear such awful things that go on over there. And remember when they hung those poor people from the bridge? That was in the same area.”
“Mom!!!” Christie was stunned at her mother’s insensitivity. “I don’t need to hear that!!”
Christie got off the phone with her mother and called in sick. There was no way that she could do anything today.
She sat curled up on her bed, hugging her knees tightly to her chest, feeling like the world was crumbling around her.
When Hailey had first told her that Chris was going into the Marines, she had been concerned, but Hailey had quickly dispelled those fears by telling her that Chris would spend the entire time in computer school. But this, this was unexpected.
Christie dialed her father’s number, and chewed her fingernails while she waited for him to answer.
“Daddy? Mom told me Chris is going to Iraq.”
“I know pumpkin, hard to believe, isn’t it? I still remember him as the little boy from next door that would follow you around.”
Christie put on a brave face for her father. “I’m concerned about him. And mom didn’t give me much news. How dangerous is it going to be, really? Chris works on computers, it’s not like he’s going to be going out and fighting, will he? He’ll be safe, right?”
The pause on the other end of the line worried her. Her dad loved her and would never hurt her, but he was also honest with her. If anyone could give her a no-bullshit assessment, it was him.
“It’s not as dangerous as it used to be. But things can happen, I won’t lie.”
“What kind of things?” Christie felt her hope dim.
“Well, some of the more remote bases have been attacked, but that’s pretty rare now. If he’s traveling, they may get hit by an IED, a roadside bomb. As long as he stays on base, he’s probably going to be okay.”
“Well since he’s a computer tech, he’ll be staying on base, won’t he?”
“Wellll …. Yes, but … He may go out on some patrols, they believe that every Marine should be able to fight.”
“So he may be out fighting.” Christie’s tone was leaden and dull; she couldn’t believe this news.
“It’s a possibility.”
Christie thanked her father and hung up. She spent the rest of the day crying by herself, trying to make sense of it all. She knew that the chances of anything happening to Chris were remote, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that something awful would happen to him.
It can’t end this way. She kept thinking to herself. The worst part for Christie was that she had no one that she could talk to about this. Sure, she could tell her parents that she was worried about Chris, but that was about it. No one knew about her relationship with him except for her old roommate Leslie, and she was off backpacking through Europe, leaving Christie to deal with this on her own.
Hailey called her later that day after she had heard the news from her own mother, she was just as upset as Christie was. When she heard the anguish in Hailey’s voice, Christie was close to breaking down and telling her everything so that the two of them could share their pain, but she held back, realizing that the only thing it would accomplish would be to upset Hailey even further, so she had to bear her suffering alone.
At least Hailey was able to see Chris; Christie was stranded on her own, far away.
Chris assured Hailey that he would be safe, and Hailey relayed that to Christie, so she felt a little better.

Over the next two years, she would get periodic updates from her mom. Chris appeared to be doing just fine, and was never in any danger, but Christie doubted that she was getting the full story. What was the likelihood Chris was telling his mom the truth about what was going on?
Christie kept her focus on her studies, and excelled in grad school. Most of her classmates were either already married, or in serious relationships, so the hook-up atmosphere of her undergrad days was thankfully gone.
Hailey had gotten engaged soon after Christie started her MBA, and phoned Christie in excitement. Christie was happy for her of course, but still envious of her.
In her weaker moments, she regretted her decision to convince Hailey go out with Chris all those years ago, but she knew that it had been the best thing for him.
When she was horny, she would think of Chris and masturbate, but although it gave her some relief, it was never truly satisfying for her.
Upon completing her MBA, Christie had several offers to mull over. The firm that she had interned for offered her a position at their branch back in her home town, so she returned home to tour the office and decide if it would be a good fit.
Her parents were excited at the idea of her being back home, but Christie wasn’t so sure. She loved her parents, but she could just picture them insisting that she move back in. She wasn’t a little girl anymore, and she looked forward to beginning her career as an independent adult.
Her visit to the branch was a good one, and Christie decided to take the offer. She would start in two weeks, which would give her enough time to find a place to live and settle in.

In the meantime, she was staying at home, and an old friend set her up on a date. Christie wasn’t really excited by the prospect, but she rationalized that she would need to meet new people and develop some sort of a social life, lest she wind up spending her weekends with her parents.
Christie listened politely as her date droned on about current events, but she found him incredibly dull, and couldn’t wait for the night to be over. Halfway through dinner her phone buzzed with a text from her mom.
Now why is she bothering me? Christie wondered. She knows I’m on a date. Although as boring as it was, Christie welcomed the distraction.
“Would you excuse me for a moment? I’ll be right back.”
She headed towards the restroom and checked her phone.
Chris is home safe. He just came over to see you.
Christie stopped breathing for a moment.
He had come over to see her? Really?? She hurried into the bathroom on a rising tide of emotion. Most important, he was home safe, but he had actually wanted to see her? Her heart soared. Was he finally ready to forgive her?
She quickly phoned her mother.
“Mom? It’s me. Chris is home? He’s okay?”
“Oh yes, he looks fine. I didn’t mean to interrupt your date dear; I just thought that you’d want to know.”
“No, its fine, thanks for telling me.” She carefully phrased her next question to hide her excitement. “So he came by to see me, huh?”
“Oh yes, he and his mother.”
Christie felt her hopes deflating. He hadn’t wanted to see her after all. His mom must have brought him over. But still, he was home safe and that was what mattered.
She hung up with her mom and texted Hailey.
Even though she was getting married soon, she would want to know that Chris had returned safely.
A minute later, Hailey called her.
“I haven’t heard from you in soooo long! How is he?” The excitement in her voice was evident, and Christie smiled to herself.
“I don’t know, I haven’t seen him yet, my mom just texted me.”
“Well go see him!!” Hailey encouraged her.
“I’m on a date right now.” Christie protested. Tempting as it was, she couldn’t very well leave the guy sitting there while she ran home.
“And you’re talking about this in front of him?”
Christie smiled to herself. “No, I’m hiding in the bathroom.”
Hailey laughed. “I left James in the restaurant to call you.”
The two girls shared a laugh. Even though they hadn’t spoken in over a year, it seemed that no time had passed whatsoever.
“So how’s your date?” Hailey inquired. She had always been supportive about Christie’s love life, and Christie found it an amusing reversal of roles. Years ago, Hailey had been the one in need of guidance, and now she was the one giving doling out advice.
Christie snorted. “Nothing special.”
“Sooooo, ditch him and go see Chris.”
Christie laughed. “I can’t do that.”
“Come on Christie, you said it yourself, the guy isn’t anything special. Ditch him and go see Chris. He’s been in Iraq for how long? I bet he’s dying for some female companionship.”
Christie was startled by this rather forward suggestion from her friend. “Hailey! What are you suggesting?”
“Remember how you talked me into going out with Chris in the first place? I’m just returning the favor.”
Christie was silent for a moment. Am I imagining things? Is Hailey trying to set me up with Chris?
Hailey continued pressing the point. “Come on Christie, you’ve always complained about the guys in your life. Chris is a great guy, and you know that he always had a crush on you. What have you got to lose?”
Hailey really was suggesting it. And while Christie wanted nothing more than to follow her advice, she was also reluctant to do so. What if he still hated her?
“That was so long ago Hailey, and we were just kids. I haven’t seen him in forever. What do we even have in common anymore?”
Hailey laughed at Christie’s objections, and Christie suddenly had a flashback to the almost identical conversation the two of them had had in that Starbucks all those years ago, as Christie talked her into going on a date with Chris. Except now the roles were reversed. How ironic … Christie thought to herself.
“You’re a hot babe, and he’s a horny Marine, use your imagination.”
Christie laughed at that. Trust Hailey to think that they could build a relationship on sex.
“And give him a kiss from me while you’re at it.”
Hailey hung up and Christie stared at her phone, hardly believing what had just happened.

Christie returned to the dining room but was unable to focus on what her date was saying, she was too busy pondering what Hailey had told her.