Can't fall even harder (Band of brothers/Richard Winters)

V. That damn Weekend

Camp Toccoa, Georgia, the second week of March 1944

The week flew away, even though Isabelle had to stay up late to clean the bathrooms, soon her duty finished and she returned going to bed at decent hours. Her relationship with Bill became more natural, Richard and Nix were stunned when they saw you two talking without trying to kill each other, she had to assure them that you two were ok and to explain the sudden change of antics, but they were happy to see that you two resolved your problems.

As the second Saturday at the camp came over, Isabelle and Dick were super excited. He promised her that he would have stayed with her the entire day. Nix didn't miss the occasion to rib his friend resulting in Dick slapping him on the head.

The morning started slowly, Isabelle wanted to sleep as much as possible and so Richard, they both were outside the barrack at around 10 a.m. 
"Good morning, how is my favourite redhead doing today?" She asked trying to contain her excitement. "Wery well thank you, how about we go have some lunch? Then you can do whatever you want, It's ok for me." "Sound perfect! I thought that maybe you could have helped me with something..." "And what is it?" "Well, you see my grandpa taught how some plants can help cure some type of wound faster. I have some from home, but I saw a bunch of them on the hill or in the camp, so I wanted to ask you if you could help me take some. If you want it doesn't matter." "Yeah, it's fine, I told you I was going to do whatever you want, just help me sort them out because I'm not sure I can recognize them." She laughed, obviously she was going to help him.

After breakfast, they started the research, after almost two hours they decided to have a break, they sat down near the hill and started talking. She told him all about her home in Asheville Alabama, her family, her friends. After a while she started talking about her grandpa, Dick was sure he saw a glimpse of love when you named him so he asked you more.

"What's his name?", "His name's Ronald, he was a medics for the military he fought in WWI, he has always been there with me, helping me, actually raising me, you know my parents were more keen on my brother than me, but I always had him on my side you know, he was my rock.", Richard didn't know if he should've asked that question, surely she was referring to the past, but maybe... "And...is he still alive?"
A moment of silence fell through the air, Isabelle was looking intently at the horizon, a gentle breeze let her hair wave through the wind. "He was".
He didn't understand but stood there waiting for her to explain preferring not to push her.
"When I enrolled, he actually was the only one who accompanied me to the train. But he is no longer with us." Hearing her words Richard stopped looking ahead of him and stared at her face, he scanned the gracefulness of her features, the way her lips were closed in a thin line obviously trying to restrain her emotions, the way her eyes were shimmering from the water that was starting to form, the way her hair, her long brown hair dropped on her shoulders. He tried to remember everything, from her postures and her body, her perfect body to her voice, honey for his ears.
"He died a while ago, it's strange, you know I always thought that after the war I would've returned home, to him, but now..." she stopped again unable to hold back her tears anymore, he saw that and to reassure her ho took her hand in his, she looked at him, feeling the warmness of his hand calming her, "But now I don't have anybody, I don't have a home".
His heart sank, he felt terrible, she didn't deserve to feel such a pain. before he had the chance to say anything she sat up and offered him a hand "Let's go, it's time for lunch, and I don't know you but I'm starving". He took his hand, sat up and started walking beside her.

This day was getting better and better for both of them, after lunch they decided to go somewhere private and just relax together. They found a spot near the hill, there was a lot of grass, and one or two trees that covered the area. They laid down on a blanket. they had their head leaned on one tree, their shoulders were touching, one or two sun rays crept through the trees and warmed the air.
they started talking, just like they had been doing for the all-day, then Isabelle offered to read him the book she was reading, some book about medicine. Richard couldn't be happier he got to listen to his favourite sound as long as he wanted, alone.
She started reading, after a while Dick laid his head on her shoulder, she stopped reading, feeling her cheeks heating up. preoccupied he asked, "Is everything alright?" "yes yes", Isabelle loved the feeling of his closeness so taken by a flush of confidence she asked:" DIck, why don't you put your head on my legs, that way we'll be both more comfortable." She regretted saying that as soon as she felt his head rushing away from her shoulder, he was amazed, stunned, shocked, he didn't know how to answer, he searched for an answer in her eyes, he was hoping to see a tip on how to answer while she was hoping for a yes.
staring into her eyes he nodded, slowly putting his head on her thighs, she went on reading, but he was no more paying attention at what she was reading, e was watching her, suddenly she puts her hand through his hair and started combing them, he was breathless, with a touch she was capable to let his heartbeat increase, causing goosebumps on his skin and let him feel t home.
Even though neither of them wanted the day to finish they had to go to dinner, after dinner, Richard offered to take her back to her barrack.

"It's been a lovely weekend, I had a great time with you," he said, stopping in front of the barrack's door, "yeah me too, see that punishment wasn't that bad after all." she joked.
He then looked her in the eyes, took her hand, kissing it.
She was stunned by the action when she saw him coming down near her face, he kissed her cheek, he let his lips feeling her skin letting them hesitate there a little longer. "good night Isabelle" he then whispered, leaving the poor woman speechless, "Good night Richard" She managed to stumble out.
Useless yo say that neither of them was able to sleep that eventfull night.

With that my dear readers another week has ended.
We don't need to know the details of the week after that event, just imagine the reaction of Lewis Nixon a Yale man as his friends told him the entire evening, yes I'll let your imagination do the work because as the third week of April came around we have to stop by to remember some facts, The five jumps were the destination that the whole company trained for and the whole company was ready to achieve that goal.