The Spirit of the Corps » Band of Brothers

14: Until and Only Until

After spending more time than she expected speaking with George, Don, Frank, and Joe, Charlie eventually had to make her way back to the house. As she went, her mind was preoccupied with what Don had confessed.

Charlie still found it hard to believe. Sure, Lieutenant Maddox was young and pretty and she supposed she couldn't always be strict and, frankly, nasty to everyone. But imagining her as someone's girlfriend was hard. Imagining her as Don's girlfriend, on top of all that, was near impossible. He seemed so... nice. From what Charlie could gather he was a real happy-go-lucky soul, so how he'd ever ended up with someone like Maddox Charlie couldn't even begin to fathom.

Then again, he'd said it had been years ago, when they were both in high school. Maybe she'd changed since then?

Charlie didn't know. After his confession Don had remained curiously tight-lipped about the whole affair, only dropping a few facts about their relationship - namely, that it had been when they'd been in high school and that the pair of them had grown up together - and then let loose nothing more.

If he hadn't described Maddox perfectly Charlie would have suspected him of lying, but he had, and the facts lined up too well. What were the chances that both of them would end up in this tiny British countryside village, so far away from home and both of them now ready to serve in combat?

The world worked in funny ways, Charlie supposed, though for what reason it had made sure to throw those two back together she couldn't even begin to wonder.

It had been midday when Charlie had first allowed the boys to join her at the table, and they'd talked for hours about mindless things, enjoying each other's company. It was late afternoon by now. Charlie was surprised by how easy it had been to be with them; perhaps the advice Floyd had given her last night, combined with the amount of time she'd been forced to spend with him, was paying off where her interactions with other boys was concerned. She'd felt nervous at first, sure, but it hadn't been nearly as hard as she might have imagined. And it had been fun! If someone had told her even a week ago when she'd first arrived in Aldbourne that she'd have managed to endure hours' worth of conversation with four soldiers all by herself she'd have flat out laughed in their face, then fainted at the prospect, but she'd really actually done it.

Maybe all of this was good for her in ways she hadn't imagined. She supposed only time would tell.

Soon enough, Charlie rounded the corner that led to her street and walked happily the little way left to the house. She started getting her keys out in advance of making her way up the path to the house. When she looked up, finally at the front door, she stopped in her tracks.

Someone had delivered something and left it in front of the door.

Charlie's eyebrows drew together as she approached. The hand with her door key ready fell to her side as her attention was diverted away, but her confusion became amused disbelief when she realised what the package was.

Purple tulips.

He'd remembered.

For all Floyd Talbert could be utterly insufferable, she had to admit he could be sweet when he wanted to be. And, even if Mabs knew that Charlie had been the one to pass the information on to him that those were her favourites, Charlie couldn't help but hope they made her smile all the same. He'd tried, at least. And purple tulips couldn't have been that easy to get ahold of on such short notice.

Charlie toyed with the idea of leaving them there for Mabel to find when she came home from work with Violet and Autumn. But, ultimately, she decided against it; the grey clouds of that morning were starting to draw in again, a rough blanket being pulled snugly over the sky, and she didn't want the flowers to get ruined if it did rain.