17. Moments Of Joy (2/2)

julia simply nodded, trying not to let her imagination come over her mind.

"when do you think this war will end?" claire asked suddenly.

"i don't know but i heard that because the americans joined us in december, it should end by the end of the year." olive replied with a smile on her face.

"i don't think it will." claire said in her very "optimistic" way.

julia rolled her eyes "claire, do you allow yourself to hope and believe, once in a while?" she asked her with raised

ows.

"oh!" she said in a voice which didn't sound like her at all "lewis asked me to marry him!" claire bursted out eventually.

julia and olive looked at each other with wide eyes "what did you just say?" julia inquired in a low voice.

"he will be sent to the front in four days and he wants me to marry him tomorrow morning." she replied hurriedly as she stood up and looked at julia and olive with concern spread upon her face "what shall i do?" she asked helplessly.

"well, um…" olive started and looked at julia for a second "i think that if you truly love him, then maybe you should go and marry him tomorrow." she said.

"oh, i do love him!" claire exclaimed "but i always dreamed of having a big ceremony with white dress, my grandmama beside me, honeymoon in italy…" she started but julia interrupted her.

"claire, the war is happening!" she said passionately "you said yourself that you don't think it will end soon. so what is stopping you from marrying him? who knows what will happen to him at the front?" she put her hands on claire's shoulders "how i wish i could decide to marry blythe tomorrow like you can decide to marry your lewis." she whispered with sadness in her eyes, small tears slowly forming.

claire kissed julia's cheek "do you think that mrs ashby would allow me to take a three days leave?"

"i suppose, we don't have as much work as we had before christmas." olive replied and before she finished the sentance, claire stood up immediately and turned towards the door.

"well then, i will become mrs lewis andrews tomorrow morning!" she said decidedly and made her way to mrs ashby's office.

on the next day, claire became lewis anderson's wife in a quiet yet very beautiful ceremony. julia and olive were present at the ceremony and couldn't hide the tears of happiness coming to their eyes. claire looked positively wonderful in her dark-blue dress with white collar and flowers in her hair. lewis was certainly very proud and almost ecstatic after the priest called them a husband and wife.

julia's eyes were shining and so were olive's eyes. the two friends watched their claire having one of the best days of her life. as julia watched the ceremony, her heart was beating faster as her imagination was coming over her. she imagined her own wedding, and imagined how delightful it must feel to be a

ide. maybe at her own wedding, she will look at least half as beautiful as claire did on her wedding day? julia imagined blythe standing next to her at the altar, so tall and wearing a beautiful formal suit… there, her face went pale and she pushed the thought away, so that she could stop the dark thoughts from entering her mind.

after the ceremony, julia and olive came back to the hospital and went immediately to bed for they were starting their regular duty seven hours later. whereas claire and lewis rented out a room in the hotel at covent garden and decided on spending their three-days-long honeymoon there.

"it is very romantic isn't it, bath?" olive asked julia when both of them started dressing in their uniforms.

"the war wedding, you mean? yes, it really is." julia said dreamily "especially when the newly weds really love each other."

"and claire and lewis do love each other, i'm sure." olive agreed and winked at julia.

"their eyes were twinkling with love today." julia added and smiled at the memory.

"i would say burning not twinkling." olive chuckled and so did her friend.

"i wonder when your war wedding with a mysterious officer or a captain will be." julia joked looking at her companion with raised funny

ows and olive hit her in the arm but she laughed as well.

"who knows, julia." she replied "who knows."

dear julia,

i can't believe that claire whom you described to me in details just two months ago, happened to be capable of such a romantic and sudden move! well either ways, i would like you to tell her "congartulations" from me.

it's been a week since i arrived in italy and i can truly say that i have no idea where i've been today for i've been on a plane for the whole day, flying, i suppose, all over the place. i'm very glad that i chose joining up in the air force rather than the land army. i don't at least have to actually run up to a person and kill them… i hope that maybe i will meet gil somewhere in the near future but i think that it's just my silly hoping.

you don't have to worry about me, dearest. for now, i am completely fine and i don't regret enlisting at all. tell me more about you and how are you feeling in the dear london? maybe one day, i will surprise you by landing on the top of your hospital's roof and suggesting on the fly over to paris? how fun this would be?

i have to go now, i feel as if my eyes will shut in any second.

take care,

your cousin-pilot,

flying officer blythe ford

dear sister,

you won't believe in what i will tell you, but you really should because it's absolutely true: today my twin-

other walt (i suppose you know him) and i reunited after the long three years of not seeing each other.

jake, marshall and i were in the trenches together when we heard that the new men arrived and will join us soon. the three of us laughed at the newly arrivals because they all looked so frightened and pale compared to us who are tanned and not scared at all. and in a blink of an eye, i saw walt's smiling face (as the only one who didn't look scared at all) and i couldn't believe my own eyes and for a second i thought it was someone different. but when jake and marshall shouted: "walt?! walt!" and this person came running to us, i knew it was him. jules, i swear, i couldn't be happier! we hugged for at least ten minutes and i could feel the looks of other soldiers watching us but i didn't care. we cried together and then laughed together for the rest of the evening.

now everyone, walt as well, are asleep but i felt that i must write to you and tell you this happy miracle that happened to me.

now that i did, i have to go and have a rest like all the others around me.

goodnight dear sister o'mine,

your happy

other,

captain meredith blythe