An unwavering type of love

Once lived a character by the name of Haddie Page St James. Haddie was 21 years old. She had some amazing opportunities present themselves that were extremely hard to resist. But because all the opportunities had features that Haddie was equally as devoted too, she was torn as to which door to walk through, and what door to pass up, as well as which door to close behind her and never look back. In order to even start a new chapter, her current chapter needed closure. This was painfully difficult for Haddie to even fathom.

Haddie had spent most of her life alongside her childhood best friend Ben. He had been a lifeline for Haddie since the 4th grade, although they knew each other since they were 4. Ben had been Haddie's rock, talking her through some pretty dark and scary times. He had a calmness about her that set Haddie's nerves at ease. Haddie was also good for Ben. She made him laugh and dream big, when he had a tendency to live in the present moment alone. Haddie, on the other hand, couldn't stop considering the future, and Ben helped her back to the present. They were perfect for each other. They never considered pursuing one another romantically, although everyone who knew them assumed they were already a couple. They would finish one another's sentences. They were like two peas in the same pod!.

Haddie has been dating Sam since her freshman year in college. Sam was a transfer student. A good ole country boy from Tennessee. It was April, and both Haddie and Sam were about to graduate college. Sam had plans to return to his hometown in Tennessee post-graduation and accept a job as Chief Rancher on his Dad's Cattle Ranch. He invited Haddie to join him. They would live in the guest cottage on his parent's property until they saved up for a place of their own. Sam wanted to get married right away and start a family with Haddie, yet Haddie had some dreams of her very own, that did not involve Sam at all, or Tennessee. Sam invited Haddie to come home with him for Easter Weekend. It was during that trip where Sam proposed to Haddie, yet Haddie said she needed time to think. She claimed she couldn't pinpoint what exactly was holding her back from accepting Sam's proposal, but the truth was, she knew what it was deep down, or who it was, It was Ben.

Sam may have been the guy she spent her Friday and Saturday nights with for the past four consecutive years. Yet Ben had always had her heart. If you asked her if she had feelings for Ben, she'd look you square in the face, and deny it, claiming Ben was like a brother to her. Yet, sisters and brothers are able to let one another go, when it was time to marry and start a family. What Ben and Haddie shared, went behind a sister/brother like friendship. They were literally soulmates. Except their brain did not get the memo, their souls already knew.

Ben was well aware of the likelihood of his Haddie relocating, with them graduating and all, and Sam being from Tennessee and all, and the fact that Haddie was not enrolled in any local graduate program and it was past the cut off to apply. If you asked Ben what he felt about losing Haddie, he would claim he had made his peace with it, but has he really? Ben was a New Englander through and through. You couldn't picture Ben anywhere else but Connecticut, except maybe California or the Carolinas, since he loved sea turtles and dolphins. Ben was an avid fisherman. He was also a carpenter. He can create just about anything with his hands. Everything turned out beautiful with such intense attention to detail. Everyone was in awe of his work. His dream was to open up his own shop someday to display his works of art. He would sign up every fall to display some of his masterpieces at local county fairs,

Fast forward four months, its now mid to late August, and Sam already left Connecticut three months ago in May right after the graduation ceremony. His parents came out to CT for the event and helped him pack up his dormitory on campus. Haddie also moved out of her dorm and into her parents house in Guilford Connecticut. Ben lived close by in the High Ridge Section of East Haven in his childhood home on Bormann Road. Ben worked as a fourth-grade English Teacher for the North Branford/Northford School District. Haddie was a server at a country club on weekends in Madison, and worked days in her Branford church office, as well as a part-time nanny afterschool for two young Madison boys Gabriel and David. She also looked after Braden, a few evenings a week on occasion for his parents, a young Guilford kid with special needs. Jane of all trades, master of none. She would also substitute as a para in the Special Ed program when the church office was closed on Monday mornings and early afternoons.

Sam waited patiently back in Tennessee for Haddie to accept his proposal. Ben was too chicken to express his undying love for Haddie, or to beg her not to leave him to start a new life. Although that was what his sister Rebecca had kept begging her brother to do. Becca adored Haddie and wanted the two of them together for as long as she can remember. Becca was four years younger than Ben, and now 17. Ben panicked and knew what he had to do. He knew Haddie would never grab ahold of a new future that Sam could offer her, unless this door was closed first. And since she herself could not bring herself to close it, he felt it was his duty to close it for her . That was how much he loved his best friend. So, he left school early one afternoon and trucked himself down to the US Naval Recruiting office downtown and enlisted into the United States Navy. Ben was going to be an officer and one day a captain of one of those pretty large ships! Hey at least he will get to see them dolphins up close and personal!

Sam had a hunch in his heart of hearts that Ben had something to do with her hesitation, 'but he did not vocalize it to Haddie, he just patiently waited, prayed and left the situation in God's hands. He believed God wanted the two of them to wind up together and grow old together someday and believed that idea came from God Himself. That gave Sam peace.

Later that August evening, Ben broke the news to Haddie over dinner that he enlisted in the United States Navy. Haddie turned white. She was devasted, Her world just came crashing down. Even after knowing that Ben would be gone the next four years, it did not give her the confirmation that it was time for Haddie to pack her bags and head to Memphis to be with Sam. Instead, she asked to be excused, and left the room and walked outside onto the balcony to call Sam and tell him that she was going to stay in Connecticut for another few weeks. She told him that Ben had enlisted in the Navy and she wanted to see her best friend off. The feelings were bittersweet for Sam. Although he was happy that his posssible competition would soon be detained elsewhere, he cannot be 100% for certain this meant, her heart would be all in once she arrived in Memphis.

Stay Tuned for the Next Part of the Ben/Sam and Haddie Saga Called "Before His Departure: The Final Hours before Having to Say Goodbye."