he Day He Chose Her Over Our Dying Son, I Chose Vengeance - Chapter 49: Chapter 49
You are reading he Day He Chose Her Over Our Dying Son, I Chose Vengeance, Chapter 49: Chapter 49. Read more chapters of he Day He Chose Her Over Our Dying Son, I Chose Vengeance.
The train rolled into the station.
The woman had gotten off two stops back.
Daniel didn't know why,
but he found himself staring out the window,
watching her step off.
In the crowd,
a tall man in Army green caught his eye.
He smiled, took the bags from her,
and wrapped a protective arm around her and the baby as they walked away.
Daniel could almost hear what they were saying.
The man:
"Was the trip okay? Everything safe? I've been waiting forever."
The woman:
"We're fine. Let's go home."
Home.
Did he even have a home to go back to?
In the next town over, Daniel went straight to the bus depot.
The route only ran partway—
the rest would be on foot.
Just as he stepped up to buy his ticket,
he heard a familiar voice.
"Daniel?"
He turned.
There was Jesse Callahan, a guy from his hometown.
"Daniel! I knew it was you!
You on leave?
Come with me, I've got the tractor today—we're heading back to the village."
Daniel blinked.
"A tractor? You guys have tractors now?"
Jesse grinned proudly.
"Yeah, all thanks to Charlotte.
Without her, we never would've gotten one."
Daniel froze.
"What does Charlotte have to do with it?"
Jesse scratched his head.
"She didn't tell you when she came to see you?"
"Last year, the county was giving out one tractor per township.
Every village wanted one.
They said whichever village trained someone to drive first would get it."
"Most people were scared they'd break it,
but Charlotte stepped up,
went straight to the county office and said she'd learn."
"She's the only woman in three counties certified to drive one,
and she got an official commendation for it, too."
"This tractor we've got?
Charlotte earned it."
"Oh—and the county even tried to recruit her to the women's bureau,
but she turned it down because she was supposed to follow you on base."
"They tried hard to convince her.
"But she's back now.
Came home a few days ago—already started working for the county."
Daniel stood there, stunned.
This couldn't be the same Charlotte he remembered—
the quiet, shy girl who never looked anyone in the eye.
The girl who only knew how to farm and talk about laundry and neighbors.
The Charlotte Jesse was describing—
smart, capable, respected—
he'd never known her.
Why hadn't he known?
Why had no one told him?
"Hey, Daniel," Jesse added, suddenly curious.
"Why'd Charlotte come back anyway?
Didn't she move to be with you?"
Daniel opened his mouth—
but no words came out.
How could he say it?
Say that he never acknowledged Charlotte or their child at the base.
That people treated them like freeloading strangers—
always looked at them like they didn't belong.
How could he say it out loud?
How could he dare say it?
He was still grappling with the shame when a voice—light, clear, and all too familiar—cut through the air behind him.
"Jesse, we should head back before it gets dark."
Jesse turned around, waving enthusiastically.
"Hey, Charlotte! Look who's here!"
Daniel turned too.
His face stiffened.
"Charlotte Dawson."
The woman had gotten off two stops back.
Daniel didn't know why,
but he found himself staring out the window,
watching her step off.
In the crowd,
a tall man in Army green caught his eye.
He smiled, took the bags from her,
and wrapped a protective arm around her and the baby as they walked away.
Daniel could almost hear what they were saying.
The man:
"Was the trip okay? Everything safe? I've been waiting forever."
The woman:
"We're fine. Let's go home."
Home.
Did he even have a home to go back to?
In the next town over, Daniel went straight to the bus depot.
The route only ran partway—
the rest would be on foot.
Just as he stepped up to buy his ticket,
he heard a familiar voice.
"Daniel?"
He turned.
There was Jesse Callahan, a guy from his hometown.
"Daniel! I knew it was you!
You on leave?
Come with me, I've got the tractor today—we're heading back to the village."
Daniel blinked.
"A tractor? You guys have tractors now?"
Jesse grinned proudly.
"Yeah, all thanks to Charlotte.
Without her, we never would've gotten one."
Daniel froze.
"What does Charlotte have to do with it?"
Jesse scratched his head.
"She didn't tell you when she came to see you?"
"Last year, the county was giving out one tractor per township.
Every village wanted one.
They said whichever village trained someone to drive first would get it."
"Most people were scared they'd break it,
but Charlotte stepped up,
went straight to the county office and said she'd learn."
"She's the only woman in three counties certified to drive one,
and she got an official commendation for it, too."
"This tractor we've got?
Charlotte earned it."
"Oh—and the county even tried to recruit her to the women's bureau,
but she turned it down because she was supposed to follow you on base."
"They tried hard to convince her.
"But she's back now.
Came home a few days ago—already started working for the county."
Daniel stood there, stunned.
This couldn't be the same Charlotte he remembered—
the quiet, shy girl who never looked anyone in the eye.
The girl who only knew how to farm and talk about laundry and neighbors.
The Charlotte Jesse was describing—
smart, capable, respected—
he'd never known her.
Why hadn't he known?
Why had no one told him?
"Hey, Daniel," Jesse added, suddenly curious.
"Why'd Charlotte come back anyway?
Didn't she move to be with you?"
Daniel opened his mouth—
but no words came out.
How could he say it?
Say that he never acknowledged Charlotte or their child at the base.
That people treated them like freeloading strangers—
always looked at them like they didn't belong.
How could he say it out loud?
How could he dare say it?
He was still grappling with the shame when a voice—light, clear, and all too familiar—cut through the air behind him.
"Jesse, we should head back before it gets dark."
Jesse turned around, waving enthusiastically.
"Hey, Charlotte! Look who's here!"
Daniel turned too.
His face stiffened.
"Charlotte Dawson."
End of he Day He Chose Her Over Our Dying Son, I Chose Vengeance Chapter 49. Continue reading Chapter 50 or return to he Day He Chose Her Over Our Dying Son, I Chose Vengeance book page.