Billie Huante

While I Was Away Billie Huante

Publisher Marketing: Lawson and Lawson automobile dealership of shiny cars and smelly new interior were the love of his life until a drop dead gorgeous lady stepped across the threshold of his office. He fell victin to cupid's arrow on day one and proposed on day two. One week later, with Lana Elkington at his side, Bruce Lawson stood before the minister in a wedding chapel at Las Vegas, where the couple repeated the wedding vows and promised to love one another til death they do part. Eight months later with a baby in the incubator, Bruce and his best buddy, Richard Graves receive mobilization orders to leave immediately for Ft. Carson, Colorado. The transfer from the snow covered landscape of Ft. Carson to the National Training Center at Ft. Irwin in California two weeks later was like taking flight from the North Pole and landing in hell. The six weeks of special desert maneuvers made them soldier strong and except for the heartbreak of leaving his wife and baby behind he was ready as the next soldier for a year of tour duty in Iraq. During the brief 24-hour leave before their final departure, Bruce held his infant daughter ever so tenderly and marveled at her perfection. He filed each feature of her face to memory to be called upon during the trying times on the battle-field. In the motel room and alone with his wife, Bruce held her fragrant softness in his arms and wondered how much love it would take to last throughout the year ahead. Upon his arrival to Kuwait, the devastating news awaiting him nearly knocked him to his knees and the suicide bomber, doing what he was trained to do on the battle-field, left Bruce in a world with little meaning.