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spine-buster · 3 years ago

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Structures ft. Jacob Markstrom | Act 2, Scene 4

gif credit @/niallhoranhasthat1thing

CONTENT WARNINGS:

This fic will deal with mental health issues, including (manic) depression, thoughts of self-harm, thoughts of worthlessness, and issues regarding struggles to conceive.

A/N: We are finally back in the present of the story, after Geneviève tells Jacob she's not coming home. This one is definitely an emotional one and might be a bit of a tear-jerker, but I promise it gets better from here!

May 16th, 2019

The drive from Gävle to Stockholm was usually 90 minutes but Jacob made it in under an hour.

He had to find his wife. Not that he knew where she was or anything, despite him driving into Stockholm as if he did; as if he didn’t have to scour a metropolis looking for her to make sure she was safe. He’d tried calling her multiple times on the drive down, but to no avail – he knew she was looking down at his name flashing across the screen, ignoring his calls again.

He didn’t know where to start looking. The number of hotels in the city were staggering, but she wouldn’t be at a hotel – he knew that much. There were probably even more Airbnb’s than hotels in the city now, and truthfully, she could be at any one of them. Hell, who was to say she was even in a hotel? What if she was sitting on a bench across the street from Södersjukhuset? What if she was already at Arlanda with a ticket in her hand – better yet, what if she was already on an airplane to God knows where? With his mind racing, it felt like he couldn’t even think straight. The possibilities were endless, and as he continued to drive through the streets of Stockholm wondering where she could be, his chest began to tighten more and more. Jacob did not want to lose her. He didn’t know much, but he knew that much.

And then he remembered.

Jacob watched as Geneviève walked around the room, a look of awe and admiration on her face as she took in the Scandinavian period details of the apartment. It had been a whirlwind of a day, but now, back in Stockholm, they found solitude in Annica’s Stockholm apartment. To say that Geneviève was used to Parisian or British architecture was an understatement, but there was something about this apartment – this one specifically – that was magic to her. The wood details. The view. The location. It was everything she could have wanted in an apartment in the city – and that was coming from someone who spent her formative years in Paris and Oxford.

“You like it?” Jacob asked, smiling as he set their bags down. He’d been in this apartment countless times before – he and Elias would use it as a base whenever they were in the city.

Geneviève turned around. “Find me here all day, every day,” she said, outstretching her arms as if she were about to take everything in and hold it close to her.

Find me here.

Jacob’s foot smashed heavily onto the break, making his tires screech before he made a U-turn and raced through the streets of Stockholm he’d just driven on. Navigating the car through the streets expertly, not bothering to adhere to the speed limit, he finally arrived outside of Annica’s apartment. He didn’t even bother to pay for parking, and didn’t care if that resulted in a ticket or his car getting towed away. Material things didn’t matter when your wife tells you she’s not coming home; the only thing that matters is finding her and making sure she’s safe before convincing her to come home.

Running up the stairs – three at a time thanks to his lanky limbs – he arrived to the fourth floor apartment that he knew so well. He didn’t bother knocking. He took the chance to see if it was open, and it was.

It was.

The first thing Jacob saw – he didn’t have to go looking – was Geneviève, sitting on the floor curled up into herself, knees to her chest and arms around her legs. When she heard him come in, she looked up, and that’s when he saw it – the blotchy face, the red eyes, the tear-stained cheeks, her body shaking.

“Jacob?” her voice quivered, in complete shock that she was seeing her husband rushing through the doorway.

“I’m here, G. I’m here,” she said, closing the door behind him and making his way towards her. He knelt down on the floor with her, wrapping his arms around her in a hug, but she wouldn’t hug him back. “Genev—”

“Let me go let me go,” she cried, wiggling out of his grip to fetch something in her back pocket. She unfolded the sheets of paper, only for Jacob to recognize they were divorce papers, again. “Please Jacob, please—”

“—Geneviève, no—”

“—I’m begging you, Jacob, I’m begging you,” she cried, pushing the papers against his chest. “Please just leave me. Please. Let me go.”

Jacob grabbed the papers and ripped them to shreds again, but that action only made Geneviève cry even harder. At that point, there was no fight left in her – there was nothing at all left in her, really – and when Jacob wrapped his arms around her, she didn’t fight back. She didn’t twist out of his grasp, she didn’t reach into her other back pocket to pull out a second set of divorce papers, nothing. There was nothing left. Nothing left but tears, agony, and pain.

“Why won’t you let me go?” Geneviève finally asked after a while, a while of Jacob just holding her in his arms until she felt like she couldn’t cry anymore.

“Because I love you.”

Those words stung. She didn’t deserve it. She leaned back slightly so she could look him in the eye. “What do I have to say for you to leave me? What? I don’t want to be with you anymore? I don’t love you anymore? Just tell me what to say, Jacob, and I’ll say it.”

“Nothing,” he shook his head. “I know they’re all lies, G.”

“Jacob, please. I mean it. What do I have to say?”

“There is nothing you can say to me that will make me stop loving you,” he said sternly. “Please sotnös. Tell me what’s wrong. Why didn’t you want to come home?”

Maybe if she told him the truth, he would leave. Maybe if she revealed she’d been lying this entire time about taking her medication then he’d get fed up with her and tape the divorce papers back together so he could finally sign them. It was worth a shot if it meant he’d finally let go. “I haven’t been taking the pills Dr. Sorenson gave me,” she revealed, though there was no change in Jacob’s features. “I haven’t taken them at all. And I’ve been noticing—I’ve been noticing you, ever since what happened in Vancouver, and ever since we got back to Sweden—I know I hurt you beyond repair, Jacob. You’re going to deny it but I can see it—I can see what I’ve done to you and I can’t do that to you anymore. I can’t break your spirit more than I already have and that’s why you need to leave me—the divorce—I can’t keep doing this to you—”

“—But you haven’t broken my spirit—”

“YES I HAVE!” she wailed, more tears streaming down her face now. “Stop lying to me. It only makes it worse. I’ve hurt you more than a wife should ever hurt her husband, and I can’t live with myself knowing how much pain I’ve caused you. I deserved everything back then,” she bumbled out, her breath hitching in her throat. “Everything they said about me, everything they did to me – I deserved it all—”

“—G, no—"

“It’s knowing what you deserve and knowing what I can’t give you.”

It was Jacob’s turn to cry now. He didn’t know how often he would have to say it, but he’d say it every second for the rest of his life if that’s what he needed to do. “I love you more than anything, Geneviève. I know your mind is telling you otherwise right now, but I love you. I never want to leave you, and…and I don’t—I don’t want you to leave me either.”

Geneviève wiped her tears away with her hand. “Why do you love me so much?”

“Because we’re soulmates, G,” he said, grabbing her hands and clasping them together in his giant ones, holding them against his chest so she could feel his heartbeat. “Remember the night we met? Remember how we just knew?” he asked softly. To his surprise, she nodded her head. “I told you ‘I had to see you’ when you asked me what I was doing in Oxford. It’s because it’s always been you, G. It’s only ever been you.”

“But Jacob—”

“Look at me,” his voice was stern. “I. Will. Never. Leave. You.”

Geneviève started crying again. She clung to him and nestled her face into his chest so she could hear his heartbeat, so she could feel it and know she didn’t break him, that she didn’t break his spirit or the life he had in him that made him adored and loved by so many – not just her. She needed to make sure, even through her cathartic tears, that she hadn’t killed his soul, the soul she loved so much; the soul that was as much a part of her as it was a part of him. “I love you so much,” she whispered, after crying on his chest for what felt like hours.

Jacob had never been more relieved to hear those words before. “I love you too, Geneviève.”

“I saw—on the train today, I saw a couple, and they were our age, and they had a baby,” she admitted. The second the words came out of her mouth, Jacob knew what this was all about. He moved to hug her tighter, but she lifted herself from his chest so she could look him in the eye. “Why can’t that be us, Jacob? Why can’t we have a baby?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know,” he didn’t want to mince words. There was nothing he could say; there was no answer to her question. Nothing would make sense, and nothing would appease them. “But we will one day. It might not be now, but it will happen for us one day. You believe that, right?”

It took a moment, but Geneviève eventually nodded her head. “I do. Some days the thought of our future family is the only thing that keeps me going.”

He kissed her tenderly, and she kissed him back, and it was the first time that day that she felt some life injected into her instead of it escaping her body through her tears and wails and shakes. Jacob held her against his chest as they cried the last of their tears, their breathing eventually steadying. The next time Geneviève lifted her head from his chest, she cradled his face in her hands. “I need you to watch me take my pills every time so I do it,” she told him. She had to be honest with herself out loud; she had to be accountable. “I know myself.”

“Okay,” Jacob nodded in agreement, giving her a quick kiss. “I promise I’ll be a better husband. Tell me how else I can be a better husband.”

“No no no,” her voice cracked as she shook her head vehemently. “You’re already the perfect husband.”

“I’ll do it. I’ll do anything you want me to.”

She kissed him, long and soft and like she’d never kiss him again, before burying her face in the crook of his neck. “I didn’t want to come but home came to me,” she whispered. “You’re my home, Jacob.”

“I will always be your home,” Jacob assured her, squeezing her tighter. “Always.”

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troubatrain · 4 years ago

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taxi - j. markstrom

a/n: i swore on my life i started writing this and then hours went by and it was done. by the way, aside from this song i still have yet to chose any players for the rest of this series and the google form is open for suggestions (it’s linked below) but anyways, i need to start by saying this got super personal for me and this showcases some of my own experiences with my own mental illness, and not everyone experiences those things the same way and i just want to remind everyone of that before they read! also, i definitely suggest listening to the song while reading it because it just feels right.

i need to tag @danglesnipecelly because k wrote a matty fic and in turn i’m legally required to write a marky fic

part of my lovely little lonely series

tw: mentions of depression, mentions of post-partum depression

“...and in the backseat, when you asked me, is the sadness everlasting? i pulled you closer, looked at you and said love, I think it is...” - Taxi - The Maine

Jacob wasn’t sure when things had gotten so bad.

You were doing better, and Jacob even thought you were doing better than before. You’d been going to therapy again regularly, less of Jacob forcing you to go for his sake and more of going by your own will. You were back on your meds, but even you admitted they felt like they might have been working this time around now that you found the right fit. The adjustment to your new surroundings in Calgary seemed to be going smoothly, spending time with Annica and Elias like you weren’t constantly battling with your own demons.

But god you were.

Jacob honestly thought you were braver than anyone he’s ever known. You met a few years back, when you used to throw on a smile just to walk out the door and Jacob was just starting to make a splash in Vancouver. He was the only person who seemed to notice you in the large crowd you were who was mingling with a few of his teammates. He knew you were something special in that moment, and he’d tell you everyday until you started to believe it. What he didn’t know at the time was, you’d just gotten diagnosed with depression and you were tackling it on your own. Not a soul knew about the days you couldn’t wait to sleep because it was the only time you were able to turn your brain off. They didn’t know about the mess in your apartment that was so embarrassing but you still just couldn’t clean it. And they definitely didn’t know about the long drives where you just thought about never coming back.

Jacob didn’t know these things for a while, but when the signs became clear, he tried his hardest to understand. He came over and cleaned your apartment when you were at work, shrugging it off when you asked him what prompted him to do it. Jacob made sure you were taken care of on days he knew you weren’t able to do it yourself.

Then the east coast road trip happened.

Your relationship was new, and you hadn’t told him what was going on even though it was becoming incredibly clear that he knew. Jacob has always been patient, and you always joke it’s because he’s a goalie, but the truth was that his heart was bigger than him. You called him, teary eyed while you sat on a park bench in the middle of Vancouver and told him you couldn’t do this anymore. At first he thought you were talking about him, maybe he’d overstepped a line he shouldn’t have, but it was clear you meant life. It was just too much, and Jacob knew it was time to push talking about it.

So you did, you laid there in the bitter cold on that bench until the sun came up and talked to him about your mental illness. You talked about your therapist who you’d been seeing but you were honest about the appointments you skipped. You talked to him about the full pill bottles in your bathroom because you didn’t want to take them but you didn’t want anyone to notice you weren’t picking up prescriptions. He was calm, listening to your words and not reprimanding you on the stall in your recovery.

Everyone moves at their own pace Y/N, you can move like a turtle if you want to and I won’t tell you to hurry up and get better.

Jacob never pushed, but that didn’t mean he didn’t educate himself. He read and read and read, everything he could on how he was supposed to help

you. He took classes, he listened to talks and he’d even attended meetings with other people who were in his same position. He wanted to understand, and he did his best to. Jacob did this because he loves you, and he wanted to make sure that was never going to be something you could question.

So that brings him here, standing in your shared bathroom while he counted how many pills were left in that orange bottle and he just knew the math wasn’t going to add up. Jacob runs a large hand over his face, rubbing his temples while he spun out about how this could be his fault. Maybe he should have stayed in Vancouver. Was the change too much for you?

“Babe?” You call out, leaning against the bathroom door and looking at him sadly. Your voice was soft, it always was, like Jacob being in distress was more important than the hell he’d seen you go through.

“Have you been skipping days?” Jacob asks, never with an accusatory tone. He learned that lesson, watching you shrink at his words when he asked if you’d been in bed all day. You start to utter an apology, Jacob raising his hand at you to stop because you didn’t owe him one, “Why didn’t you call?”

Tears were welling up in your eyes, your lip quivering while you tried to find the right words. Jacob didn’t look mad, he wasn’t - he was feeling guilty. He promised you, if you called it didn’t matter if he was in the middle of a game, he’d be there as soon as he could, “You need to be with your new team-”

“Fuck my new team,” Jacob scoffs, shaking his head and opening his arms to you, “You think I’d want to spend any more time with Elias than you?”

“No, I just,” You sigh, pushing a piece of your hair back that seemed to just fall back into place, “I didn’t want to be a bother, you need to be with these guys all the time and how can you do that if you’re worried about me?”

“I can do that because I want to do it,” Jacob reminds you, pushing that same piece of hair back where it belonged, and it stuck, “I don’t feel like I have to worry about you, I want to.”

“Wouldn’t it be easier not to?” You ask, wrapping your arms around Jacob’s waist and pressing your head into his chest. His heartbeat was steady, he was steady.

Jacob was the most stable thing you had in your life. You couldn’t figure what you’d done to experience unconditional love like that, a person to care for you so much that they would do anything to make you happy. He calmed you on the days you needed most and he never pushed you harder than he thought you needed. Turtle speed. He always called it that, but he’d rather see you move slowly to get better than throw on another fake smile.

“My life wouldn’t be easier if you weren’t in it,” Jacob hums, pressing a kiss to the top of your head, “Do you want me to set out your meds for the week? In that little container I got you?”

You nod, making a promise to yourself to take the step in getting better. Jacob reminded you constantly, you can’t do this for him, you needed to do it for yourself - he was just helping. He was always going to help.

***

You seemed better.

Jacob swore you were actually doing okay, the little check ins he was doing was working and when he got back from his next road trip - nothing seemed wrong. You were standing across Johnny’s house, laughing along with Annica and a few other girls and Jacob knew that laugh was a real one. This was good, seeing you out laughing and smiling.

“So, when is it going to be time for you?” Annica asks, her hand running over your ring finger, “Marky has to be thinking about having a few running around soon.”

You wish it hadn’t set you off. It was a simple question anyone would ask a couple who’s been together this long.

Children was a conversation you weren’t ready for. The thought terrified you, not because you didn’t want to have them, it was the post-partum talk. You knew the risks, all of the things that could happen after and you didn’t want to stomach that. What if you weren’t enough for your kids? They didn’t ask for a mother who couldn’t get out of bed sometimes let alone take care of them, and you’d be insane to think that was a healthy way to raise a child.

Jacob’s eyes remained on you while you rushed out of the house, fiddling with your hands and shaking your head. That was your tell, and Jacob excused himself immediately, chasing you out of the house. His hands grab your cheeks, steadying you for a moment and wiping the tears from your eyes.

“She asked me when we were going to the marriage and kids thing and,” You ramble out, closing your eyes and shutting your mouth. Jacob knew where you were going with this, it was fear he had too. It was the reason there was a ring in one of his coat pockets at home that’s never been opened because he was waiting for the right time. He’d wait forever if he had to. You were the one there was never a doubt about it.

“We don’t have to talk about it right now,” Jacob sighs, knowing this conversation was far too heavy to be had in public, “But, you’ll never be alone, I’m never going to leave, I’m never going to pressure you into anything. When you’re ready I will be too, but I don’t care how long it takes.”

“What if it’s too late for kids?” You whisper, the fear that Jacob could tell you he’d wait forever but you’d seen him with kids, he was made to be a father.

“We can adopt, foster, whatever you want,” Jacob assures you, the idea of having children never had to be biological to him, “Chucky asked me if we were looking to adopt the other day…”

You let out a laugh, looking and pressing your lips to Jacob’s. You couldn’t thank him enough, not like he’d ever let you, but he was so good. You leaned your head on his shoulder, watching Calgary pass you by while Jacob hums to the radio next to you in the cab to get home.

“You think I’ll always be like this?” You ask, a question that could have been for either of you.

“There’s always going to be bad days, but you’re never going to be alone on them. I promise.”

“Turtle speed?”

“Turtle speed.”

#jacob markstrom #jacob markstrom imagine #nhl imagine #nhl imagines

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typical-simplelove · 4 years ago

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All the Way Across the World - 40s AU (J. Markstrom)

Summary: Jacob wasn't looking for love while he was in England fighting the war. However, he wasn't expecting for Lily Stratton to come in and change that.

Series Masterlist

A/n: Here is the first part! This one is the same universe as the Matthew Tkachuk part that is linked in the series masterlist. Also, I want to thank @glassdanse for sharing their stories with me and allowing me to incorporate them into this series. Thank you so much for your help with this! Enjoy reading!

Warnings: mentions of war, death, and fighting; everyone on the Calgary Flames for this is Canadian (this is what worked for everything to flow)

Word Count: 9.3k

Taglist: @boqvistsbabe @goalision @rmaye @mellany1997 @beauvibaby @heatherawoowoo @petey-patty @barzal-burakovsky @coffee-ontherocks @heaveniish @glassdanse @nhlboyshavemyhart88 @tkapuckit @heybarzy @stars-canucks @2manytabsopen (Do you want to be tagged in my fics? Fill out this form.)

May 26, 1940

The loud dancing music coming out of the Red Cross building on the base that Jacob was at was a calming welcome. After a ten-day boot camp trekking through the English countryside, being back in London was a nice sight. Jacob didn’t often opt to spend his nights off with his friends in the Red Cross building; however, Elias wanted to introduce Jacob and some of the other boys to the girl he’s been seeing. Rumor has it that Elias is going to propose soon. Jacob walked into the Red Cross building and immediately sighed. Loud music and drunk soldiers was not what Jacob wanted to do during his free time. He understood the idea and thought behind the Red Cross women setting this up each Friday night. That doesn’t mean he has to enjoy it.

“Please, be nice,” Elias pleads to Jacob. “Don’t be this mopey version of yourself, please?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jacob grumbles.

“No, I agree, you’re unusually grumpy,” Matthew interjects. What was it with Jacob’s friends and their need to point out Jacob's mood? Don’t they understand that they are fighting a war? All he wanted to do with his time was find a girl to love and marry and go live in a house on a lake. Isn’t that the dream? This war threw everything out the window.

“Fine, I’ll try to be less grumpy, but I’m not taking care of you when you’re drunk later,” Jacob relents. His friends cheer around him at Jacob’s admission and a drink is thrown into Jacob’s hand. That was quick. Jacob follows his friends as they find a table to sit at, and Elias goes over to find Annica.

Some of the boys are looking around trying to find a girl who will want to dance with them. Jacob isn’t doing that. War isn’t a time to find someone to fall in love with. During wartime, Jacob is going to put his energy into fighting this war and ending it as soon as possible. The sooner that it’s over, the sooner that Jacob can go home and live the life he was working for.

“Everyone, this is Annica,” Elias says as he motions to a girl who is holding onto his hand. “Annica, everyone.”

Some of the boys wave and others say hi. Elias found a pretty girl who definitely is crazy about him. Introductions are made and small conversation happens.

“I actually have to go back to work; I don’t think Lily thought I’d be this long,” Annica says. She kisses Elias on the cheek and heads back to the kitchen.

“She’s great, right?” Elias says as he watches Annica walk away. “I think I’m going to marry her.”

“That’s great for you,” Jacob says. He tried to sound chipper and happy, but it was hard when he was in an atmosphere he didn’t want to be in.

“Don’t do this, Jacob, you promised that you wouldn’t be grumpy.”

“Then maybe I should just leave.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Yeah, I know,” Jacob sighs. “I’m going to go outside for a moment.” Jacob places his drink on the table that he hasn’t taken a single sip out of and crosses the room to head outside. He opens the door, and his entire attitude makes a positive turn as he heads breaths in the air.

After a few minutes of standing outside, Jacob hears some commotion about twenty feet away. He turns and looks; he sees a woman in a Red Cross uniform pouring some liquid out of a giant pot. He watches her struggle and decides to go over and help.

“Do you need some help, miss?” Jacob asks and startles the woman. She jumps and the pot lands on the ground resulting in the liquid to spill.

“Well, I guess that completes what I was trying to do,” she says with amusement.

“I’m really sorry about that,” Jacob apologizes. He looks downs at the woman and notices her shoulder length black hair that was pulled back into an intricate updo.

“Oh, don’t worry. The damage was more of you frightening me than anything else.”

“Again, my sincerest apologies, Ms.; I’m not quite sure what to call you.”

“Stratton, Ms. Lily Stratton of the Canadian Red Cross. And you are?”

“Second Lieutenant Jacob Markstrom.”

“Well, Lieutenant, thank you so much for making this part of my job easier.”

“Dumping out whatever that liquid was?”

Lily laughs. “Yeah, that’s always the hardest part. It’s heavy and I don’t have the most strong arms in the world. I doubt you can relate to that.”

“I’m afraid I don’t follow, Ms. Stratton,” Jacob asks confused.

Lily laughs, and Jacob feels a blush creep onto his face. “How tall are you, Lieutenant? Actually, it doesn't matter. You’re tall. What I mean is, I doubt that holding heavy things is a difficulty for you, Lieutenant.”

“Oh, no, definitely not, Ms. Stratton.”

Lily giggles, and Jacob determines that it’s the best noise he’s ever heard. “Well, Lieutenant Markstrom, I have to get back to serving you and your fellow soldiers. It was nice to meet you; I hope to see you around.”

“The same here, Ms. Stratton.”

Lily takes one last glance at Jacob and walks back into the kitchen. There was something about Jacob, she just couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

. . .

“Who was that man you were talking to yesterday, Lily?” Annica asks when Lily walks into the kitchen the next morning.

Lily slightly blushes and pretends to busy herself with cleaning the dishes.

“Oh, so you’re not going to tell me about him, then?” Annica teases. When Lily doesn’t respond, Annica only prods further. “You know, I could tell that he was extremely tall. Maybe I should just walk up to each tall man on the base and ask if they talked to you yesterday.”

Lily gasps. “You wouldn’t!”

“I would. Unless…”

“Unless, what?”

“Unless, Lily, you tell me his name. It’s about time that you find a romantic partner.”

“Firstly, I don’t need to have a romantic partner, so hush! Secondly, his name is Lieutenant Jacob Markstrom.”

“Oh, Lieutenant Markstrom? He’s friends with Elias.”

“Of course he is,” you joke.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Annica asks, confused.

“No, nothing mean, I promise. It just means that the one man I find attractive and talk to also happens to be friends with your boyfriend, or soon to be fiance. This means that you can badger him and me until one of us makes a move. This, however, doesn’t mean he finds me attractive or wants to go out with me.”

“Who are we talking about?” Elias asks as he walks into the kitchen. He wraps his arms around Annica from the back and kisses her cheek.

“Your friend, Jacob,” Annica answers.

“Oh? What about him?”

“Nothing, other than the fact that Lily here talked to him and finds him attractive.”

“Oh?” Elias asks amusingly.

“Can we not?” Lily pleads. “This doesn’t mean anything and it was one conversation.”

“You were the girl that Jacob was talking to because let me tell you, he came back from being outside in a happy mood,” Elias adds.

“What does that even mean?”

“He doesn’t like loud party atmospheres. However, he was in a better mood and didn’t mind the atmosphere after talking to you.”

Lily just stares at Elias and looks to Annica for help.

“It means he likes you or at least enjoys your company, Lily,” Annica clarifies.

“Oh, oh!” Lily says. “Wait, don’t. Again, this doesn’t mean anything.”

“You’re right, it might not mean anything, but you could make it mean something.”

“Oh, be quiet, Annica. Can’t we just change the topic, now? We have to have the donuts made for the pilots who come back from their flights in a few hours.”

“Sure, but this doesn’t mean we’re done with this conversation,” Annica relents. She turns to say goodbye to Elias, and Lily turns away. It was nice to see them so in love; she couldn’t wait until they got married one day.

. . .

The following week, Lily was put to work in the kitchen. She was told to have dinner readily available to be filled. Lily didn’t particularly hate this job; however, she wanted to see Jacob again. She wanted to see him and talk to him. She doubted there would be any natural way for her to see Jacob or for him to see her. Oh well, right?

Lily was beginning to peel the next batch of potatoes when the door to the kitchen opened. Believing it was just one of the Red Cross women, Lily didn’t look up. “You can leave the tray on the table in the middle.”

“Well, I don’t have any trays to give you, so I’ll just sit on this stool,” the person who enters says.

Lily lifts her head and turns to the person talking. “Lieutenant Markstrom, what are you doing here?”

“Do you not want to see me? I’m offended.”

Lily smiles. “This isn’t where the other soldiers hangout on Friday evenings.”

“What if this is where I want to be?” Jacob flirts.

Lily raises her eyebrows. “Oh, is that so, Lieutenant?”

“Partially, Ms. Stratton.”

“What does that even mean, ‘partially’, Lieutenant?”

“Annica and Elias forced me to come talk to you. I was going to wait until you made an appearance, but they forced me into here.”

Lily shakes her head. “Of course they did.”

“Now it’s my turn to ask what that means, Ms. Stratton.”

“Don’t worry, Lieutenant, it’s none of your concern.”

Jacob has an amused look in his eyes. “Mhm, if you say so, Ms. Stratton. May I ask, what are you doing?”

“I am prepping the potatoes for you and your fellow soldiers’ meal.”

“May I help, Ms. Stratton,” Jaocb asks.

“No, you may not, Lieutenant.”

Jacob asks. “And why is that?”

“You are supposed to be enjoying your evening and not working. Let me do my job, Lieutenant.”

Jacob’s deep chuckle sent shivers down Lily’s spine. “Yes, ma’am. Mind if I stay here for a bit?”

“Don’t you want to go back to your friends?” Lily asks.

“Do you really want to get rid of me that quickly?”

“No,” Lily says quickly and gets a raised eyebrow from Jacob. She blushes before she responds. “I just don’t know why you’d want to spend the evening in a kitchen when you could be drinking and dancing and ignoring your problems and the war.”

“That’s fair, but why can’t I want to spend the time with my friend?”

Lily’s smile falters slightly when Jacob calls her his friend. She doesn’t let it show, though, in her response. “Quite presumptuous, no? Calling me your friend, Lieutenant?”

“Is that not what this is?” Jacob asks with a smirk.

“I’m not sure, that’s why I’m asking.”

“Well, if it’s okay with you, I’d like to be friends with you. I think you and me could be a very powerful duo one day.”

“As friends,” Lily confirms.

“As friends, what else would we be?” Jacob asks obliviously.

“No yeah, you’re right,” Lily says. Jacob didn’t want anything more than friends with her, and she was going to be okay with that, right? Lily wasn’t going to let the attraction she felt towards Jacob ruin a perfectly fine relationship. “I’m going to get back to these potatoes, okay?”

“Yes, of course; don’t let me distract you.” Jacob tells Lily. Yeah, maybe he should walk out of the kitchen then if he didn’t want to distract her.

. . .

“Oh, good morning, Ms. Stratton,” Jacob says to Lily outside the meeting room for officers.

“Oh!” Lily says in reply. “Lieutenant, good morning to you!”

“What are you doing here?”

“I am setting up coffee, tea, and donuts for the troops this fine morning,” Lily jokes at the end. It was an awfully dreary morning with dark clouds in the sky, fog setting on the land, and a chilly breeze.

“Nice joke,” Jacob tells her.

Lily pretends to be offended. “What? This weather is quite fine.”

“I’m not sure where you’re from, but this weather is normally dreary and not ‘fine’.”

“Where are you from, Lieutenant?”

“I’m from Calgary; normal people don’t find this weather enjoyable.”

“Oh!” Lily says and raises her eyebrows. “So you’re calling me not normal and weird.”

“Who says that being not normal is weird, Ms. Stratton?” Jacob asks in a flirtatious tone. “Wait, does this mean that you like this wet, dreary weather?”

“I do like this weather, Lieutenant.”

“Where are you from, then?”

“Well, I’m from Vancouver; this weather is quite normal for Vancouverites.”

“Ah, Vancouver. Quite a lovely city, Ms. Stratton.”

“If you’re asking for me to compliment your home, Lieutenant, let me tell you, I have never been to Calgary, so I have no idea what to say.”

“Understandable, Ms. Stratton. Care to tell me about Vancouver, then?”

“Well, Lieutenant, what do you want to know?”

“Mm, I’m not sure,” Jacob says, and he playfully scratches his chin. “What about --”

“Lieutenant Markstrom, we need you here!” Captain Mark Giordano, their company CO, interrupts. “Stop flirting with the Red Cross workers!”

“Yes sir!” Jacob says. He turns to face Lily, his face is tinged with red. “My sincerest apologies, Ms. Stratton. Maybe we could continue this conversation another time?”

“Of course, Lieutenant,” Lily tells Jacob with a smile. He gives her one last glance before turning and walking away.

“So, you two are getting pretty close, eh?” Chris Tanev eggs Jacob on when he’s joined his company.

Jacob gives Chris a weird look. “What are you talking about?”

“You and Lily.”

“What about me and Lily?”

“You should ask her out. I think she likes you.”

Jacob laughs. “No, she doesn’t, and I won’t be asking her out. So don’t bother asking me to.”

Chris sighs. “Sure, whatever you say.”

. . .

After getting back from his training, Jacob has a few hours of free time, and he doesn’t know what to do. Walking around base, Jacob opts to use this time to just escape from the horrors and gruelling atmosphere of war. Subconsciously, Jacob is heading towards the Red Cross building. Incidentally, this is also where Lily happens to be at the current moment. Realizing where he’s at, Jacob decides to walk into the building. Once he’s walked in, Jacob smiles when he sees Lily sitting at a table with a notepad in front of her.

Noticing she was concentrating on her current task, Jacob softly knocks on the table to signal his arrival. Lily looks up and smiles when she sees Jacob.

“Well, hello, Lieutenant.”

“Hi, Ms. Stratton. Mind if I join you?”

“No, not at all,” Lily says and motions for the chair next to hers.

“What are you working on?” Jacob asks inquisitively.

“The Red Cross is putting on a Canada Day celebration for the troops. Because you can’t be home with your families on Canada Day, we thought we’d host our own for you here.”

“That sounds nice; you Red Cross women work hard.”

Lily smiles at Jacob. “Thank you, but I think you soldiers work harder.”

Jacob smiles at Lily. “Do you need any help with this?”

“I think I’m good at the moment; this is the first event that I will be hosting and organizing on my own.”

“Wait, does that mean you’re doing everything on your own?”

“No, no, don’t worry. I’m just the one in charge with making all the decisions and leading everyone.”

“I think you’re going to do great, Ms. Stratton.”

“Why, thank you, Lieutenant,” Lily says. Jacob was truly going to be the death of her one day.

“So, what did you do during your free time?” Elias asks later that day. He had his suspicions when he saw Jacob walking back to the barracks in the direction of the Red Cross building.

“Oh, nothing,” Jacob says. He isn’t sure why he doesn’t want to tell Elias about going to see Lily, but he knows he wants to keep that to himself.

“So, you didn’t go to the Red Cross building, then?”

“Um, no?” Jacob says.

“Why the questioning tone with that response?”

“Why all the questions badgering me about my free time?”

“Fair enough,” Elias relents.

“Just out of curiosity, why do you think I went to the Red Cross building?” Jacob asks.

“I don’t think you went; I know you went,” Elias says with power. “I saw you walking back from the direction of the Red Cross building.”

Jacob laughs and shakes his head. “Why then are you asking if you know the answer?”

“So you did go to see Lily, then?”

“I, yeah.”

“Why did you lie to me just now, then?”

Jacob shrugs. “I don’t think you need to know everything about my personal life, Elias.”

Elias sighs. “Yeah, sure, if that’s the reason, then.”

“What does that even mean?”

Elias stares Jacob directly in the eye. “You mean to tell me that there is nothing going on between you and Lily?”

“Yes, why?” Jacob asks, confused.

“Nevermind,” Elias says. This was the way it’s going to be then; Jacob was going to be oblivious to what was directly in front of him.

. . .

June 5, 1940

“I’m thinking maybe make centerpieces for all the tables,” Lily explains to some of the other Red Cross workers. “I’m going to see if my mum can send anything from back home for us to use. In the meantime, Rebecca, if you can try to find red table cloths and red and white paper. We will use the table cloths for the tables. The paper will be used to make flags. I doubt that anywhere in Great Britain sells Canadian flags. For now, why don’t we work with what we have. Let’s work on making posters to put up around base, okay?”

The group disperses into their individual groups to work on the fliers and posters.

“Any way I can help?” Jacob says out of nowhere.

“Where did you come from?” Lily asks.

“I walked in to come see you, but you were talking. I didn’t want to disturb you; you seemed like you were on a roll.”

“Oh, well, at the moment, I’m okay at the moment. However, in the future, I might be able to use your height for my advantage.”

“Let me know the time and place, and I’ll be there.”

“Perfect. What do you have planned today?”

“The weather is too muddy for us to train, so it’s a day off after our run this morning.”

“Sounds nice, what do you plan on doing?”

“I planned on coming here to see you and help, but it looks like you’re all good here.”

“How are you with coloring?”

“Is that a threat or a serious question?” Jacob jokes.

“Serious question,” Lily responds. “I was going to color in these posters, but, since you’re here, do you mind helping?”

“I don’t mind,” Jacob responds.

“Follow me,” Lily says and leads Jacob over to where her posters were. “Here. Just use these paintbrushes, please.”

“And just color it in?”

“That’s how you do it.”

Jacob begins coloring in the outlined words and pictures on the poster. He looks up and sees Lily scribbling away on her notepad. “What are you doing?” he asks.

“I am finetuning some of the details of the decorations,” she responds.

“What kind of decorations do you want to do?”

“I’m thinking of making a banner to hang made of Canadian flags,” Lily answers.

“That’s a lot of work,” Jacob admits.

“Sure, but you guys do a lot too, so shouldn’t we do something for you guys?”

“But we’re fighting a bad guy.”

“And we’re fighting off bad morale and poor morale and spirit”

“I guess both are quite vital, right?” Jacob says.

“Yes,” Lily responds. “Oh, that reminds me. I want to launch a campaign to help you guys get stuff from home.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Well, our budget has a little bit extra cash,” Lily says. “I’m trying to get approval, so that I can reach out to your families to send the money to send small things to remind you guys of home.”

“That’s a great idea, Ms. Stratton. Also, I finished this flag, do you want me to keep going?”

“Yes, please. Don’t tell anyone yet, though, because I’m not one hundred percent sure that I’ll get approval.”

“I won’t, promise, but I hope you get it. The boys will like it for sure, if you can get approval.”

Lily smiles at Jacob. There was something about his presence that made Lily feel lighter and so much happier.

. . .

June 16, 1940

“Hey, Ms. Stratton,” Matthew says to the woman. “What are you doing here? Come to see Jacob?”

A red tint crosses Lily’s face at Jacob’s name, and Matthew smirks. “Actually, no. I’m here to pick up our shipment of supplies that came in today.”

“Oh, did you want some help?”

“Don’t worry, I’m good.”

“You sure?” Matthew asks. He looks at the large boxes labeled “Red Cross” and knows that it will be multiple trips to her car.

Glancing at the boxes, Lily changes her mind. “If you don’t mind, actually, could you?”

“Sure, I did offer to help,” Matthew says and follows Lily. The pair both grab two boxes each and head towards the car provided by the Red Cross for Lily. “Oh, hey, Marky,” Matthew says with a smirk on his face.

Lily turns to the man in question and a smile breaks out on her face. “Marky?”

“That’s my nickname,” Jacob responds with a red tint forming on his face. “What are you guys doing?”

“Oh, Lieutenant Tkachuk is helping me load up the Red Cross supplies into the car, so I can bring it back to the Red Cross building.”

“Did you need more help with that?” Jacob asks with a slight undertone of jealousy. Was Jacob jealous that Matthew was helping Lily?

“Um, I think we’re okay, but thanks,” Lily responds.

“Actually, I just realized,” Matthew states. “I have something I have to do, so, Marky, why don’t you help Ms. Stratton?”

“Oh, sure,” Jacob says.

“Bye, you two!” Matthew says as he walks away. “Behave!”

“Chucky, always making inappropriate jokes,” Jacob says.

“Oh, sure,” Lily replies. “So, Marky, huh?”

Jacob laughs. “That’s what they call me.”

“I’m assuming that’s a play on your last name, Markstrom, right?”

“You’re assuming correct.”

Lily laughs, “what would you like me to call you?”

“Anything is fine.”

Lily puts on a mischievous grin that makes Jacob’s heart skip a beat. “Okay, then. Marky, do you mind taking that box for me?”

Jacob shakes his head with a smile. “No, don’t call me that. You’re far too nice to call me Marky.”

“What does that mean, Lieutenant Markstrom?” Lily says with an emphasis on his name.

“The boys use that as a joke and to tease. They’re just being mean; you’re far too nice for that.”

“Interesting evaluation, Lieutenant.”

“You can call me Jacob, you know.”

“Oh, okay, sure, Jacob. You can call me Lily then.”

Jacob smiles. “Do you have a nickname or something?”

“Not really. My grandmother calls me Lilibeth, but that’s just because she wanted me to be an Elizabeth. She’s still quite bitter about that.”

“Well, Lily, I think your name fits you perfectly.”

“Thank you,” Lily says to Jacob with a smile that could win the war if anyone saw it.

After about fifteen minutes of transporting boxes, the pair finally finished.

“If you don’t mind me asking, what are all these boxes for?” Jacob asks. “Didn’t you guys get a shipment last week?”

“We get shipments every week with our supplies,” Lily explains. “However, there’s a bit more today because some of this stuff is also for the Canada Day celebration. I can guarantee that there are three extra crates of potatoes than normal.”

“What are the potatoes for?”

“Poutine of course. We can’t have a Canada Day celebration without it.”

“Are you making it?” Jacob asks.

“Well, me and some of the other women, but yes.”

“What else do you guys plan on serving?”

“Probably just sandwiches. We have to be careful with rationing and stuff like that.”

“Makes sense. Again, if you need any more help, just let me know.”

“Thank you, Jacob,” Lily says. “Just remember, you are fighting a war, so helping me is helping to fight the war.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Jacob says. “See you soon?”

“Yeah,” Lily says, and she gets in the car. Jacob closes the door for her, and she waves as she starts the car. “Thank you again.”

“Of course,” he replies. If he had a giant smile on his face watching her drive away, then so be it.

. . .

June 30, 1940

“No, a little higher, please,” Lily instructs Melody.

“Here?” Melody confirms.

“Perfect,” Lily responds, and Melody places the banner on the tape.

“Wow, it looks nice in here,” Jacob says from the doorway.

“Thank you,” Lily says with a smile on her face. “What are you doing here?”

“Captain Giordano had a box of supplies that his wife sent, so he sent me here to give them to you.”

“Oh, perfect! He was telling me about these; I’m glad they came in time!”

“Are you already for tomorrow?”

“I think so,” Lily says nervously. “The only thing we have left is to make all the food.”

“What are you making?”

“I told you about poutine and the sandwiches. I also want to make nanaimo bars; my mother sent me some ingredients from back home. I’ve never made it without her, so we shall see how it turns out.”

“I can’t wait to try them,” Jacob says. “Is there anything I can help you with?”

“No, actually,” Lily says. “I want this to be a surprise for you and the men, so you should leave.”

“I should leave?” Jacob asks with a raised eyebrow.

“You know what I mean, Jacob.”

“Yeah, well, can you at least tell me what I might expect?”

“I’m going to be very vague about it,” Lily says.

“That’s fine; I just like hearing you talk.”

Oh? This was new to Lily. “I, okay, I am going to deck this place out in Canadian flags, maple leafs, and red.”

“How do you plan to do that?”

“Through banners, tablecloths, centerpieces, and decorations.”

“If you want to help, let me know, Lil,” Jacob says.

Lily smiles at the nickname. “No, thank you. If you want to help, then you can leave.”

“But --”

“No,” Lily says and begins to push Jacob out the door.

“Lily, come on,” Jacob pleads.

“I’m not trying to be mean. I just need you gone, so that the Red Cross Ladies and I can get things done,” Lily further pushes Jacob out the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Yeah, I’ll be here,” Jacob says as Lily closes the door. Despite Lily pushing Jacob out the door, there was still a wide smile on his face with a slight blush. Only Lily could bring out a smile like this on Jacob, could there be another reason for this?

July 1, 1940

“Come on, we’re going to be late,” Jacob urges on to his friends.

“Why is this so important to you?” Matthew asks with a smirk.

“No reason,” Jacob says obliviously. “I know how hard Lily has been working on this, and I want to support her.”

Matthew laughs and shakes his head. So, this was still happening then; Jacob was going to remain oblivious. This was going to be fun.

When they walk in, Jacob smiles. He was impressed. Lining the walls and ceilings were banners made of Canada flags. Each table was dressed in a red tablecloth with an elaborate centerpiece in the center. Each centerpiece was made with fake flowers with fake maple leafs hanging around it. Lining the floors were fake maple leafs. The thought that each piece of decoration had was obvious. Lily really had the skill and knack to do anything she set her mind to.

“Hey,” Lily tells the group as they walk into the Red Cross building. “Welcome to our Canada Day in England Celebration.”

“Hey,” Jacob says, and his smile immediately widdens. “It looks great in here, Lil.”

The guys roll their eyes at Jacob’s pet name for Lily. Right, Jacob wasn’t incredibly whipped for the Red Cross worker.

“Thanks,” Lily responds. “We worked hard for this to be great for you guys, so enjoy! I told you it was a good idea for me to kick you out.”

“Sure, sure,” Jacob responds with a smile, and Lily waves as she heads to the next group to soldiers to greet.

The boys thank her and give Jacob an amused look.

“What?” he asks.

“So, when’s the wedding?” Matthew asks with a grin.

“Not sure. Ask Elias, he’s the one getting married,” Jacob answers.

“Elias?” Matthew asks Elias.

“Whenever he decides to pull himself together and figure it out on his own,” Elias answers.

“What?” Jacob asks, confused. They very clearly are not talking about Elias’ engagement to Annica.

“Nothing,” Elias and Matthew say together.

Jacob rolls his eyes. “Come on, let’s find the rest of the unit.” The trio walks towards their captain and other unit members.

“This is really good,” Matthew says as he spoonfuls a mouth of poutine. “You’re a lucky man, Marky.”

Jacob looks up. “What?”

“To have a girl who cooks this amazing is so lucky.”

“I’m not dating anyone, though,” Jacob says.

“Oh, right, you haven’t realized you’re in love with Lily.”

Jacob glares at Matthew. “I haven’t realized because I’m not in love with her.”

“Sure,” Matthew says and shakes his head.

“So, Jacob, do you love my Nanaimo bars?” Lily asks as the celebration is wrapping up.

“I actually haven’t had one yet,” Jacob admits.

Lily gasps in a playful manner. “You haven’t tried one yet?”

Jacob smiles. “No, I haven’t.”

Lily suddenly grows somber. “I don’t think we can be friends, Jacob.”

“Why not?”

“Because, you haven’t eaten one of the Nanaimo bars, yet, obviously.”

Jacob laughs. “What can I do to make up for it?”

“Come with me,” Lily says and takes Jacob’s hand. She leads Jacob into the kitchen and pulls out a paper plate. “I was saving these for the Red Cross women, but since you haven’t had one yet, I feel that it’s important for you to have one.”

Lily grabs a small plate and places a Nanaimo bar on it; she hands the plate to Jacob with a smile.

“I just eat it?” Jacob asks.

“Yes, unless you want to tell me how beautiful it looks.”

You’re really beautiful. “It’s beautiful, Lily; it’s absolutely stunning.” Like you.

“Thank you, and now, try it.”

Jacob nods and eats it in one bite. “That’s amazing,” he says after finishing it. “I absolutely love it. I’m not sure why I didn’t get one earlier.”

“I’m not sure if there’s anymore around here, but you can have mine from the tray.”

“No, no, I won’t do that; you eat it,” Jacob says.

“I’ve had a few already, you eat it,” Lily insists.

“What about we share it?” Jacob suggests.

“Sure, let me get a fork.” Lily goes to the drawer and grabs a fork. She places one of the Nanaimo bars on the plate, Jacob puts out the knife. “Where did you get a knife from?”

“When you were getting the fork, I grabbed a knife.”

“That makes sense. You cut then?”

Jacob nods and cuts the bar in half. He grabs the fork and spears one of the pieces. “Here you go.” Lily grabs the fork out of his hand, and their hands briefly touch.

“Thank you,” Lily barely whispers as her face grows warm. She could suppress these feelings she had, right?

. . .

July 2, 1940

“So, you and Jacob, huh?” Annica says.

“What?” Lily says with a blush.

“You and Jacob are finally dating!”

“Yeah, no we’re not.”

“Oh, come on, really?” Annica asks. “I saw you guys in the kitchen yesterday. You guys were cute together and interacted so well together.”

Lily looks up. “It doesn’t matter what you saw.”

“Why’s that?” Annica asks curiously.

“He doesn’t feel the same,” Lily answers.

Annica squeals.

“What?” Lily questions.

“You like him?”

“Oh, yeah, I guess I do.”

“I know you don’t think he feels the same why, but he does,” Annica insists.

“No, he doesn’t.”

Annica shakes her head and sighs. Will the pair finally realize the way they both feel for each other?

. . .

August 10, 1940

“Lily, wait up!” Jacob calls out to Lily.

She turns around and smiles when she sees Jacob. “Hey, it’s you!”

“It’s me indeed. Where are you headed?”

“Nowhere in particular. I’m just out for a walk. You?”

“Same, mind if I join you?”

“Of course,” Lily replies with a smile. “How has your day been?”

“It’s been fine. I can’t complain. How about you, Lil?”

“Same, too. I’m ready to immerse myself in our next project, though.”

“What’s your next project?” Jacob asks.

“Other than Annica and Elias’ wedding?” Lily jokes.

“I guess that is coming up soon, isn’t it?”

“It is, but it’s exciting for them.”

“The Red Cross is putting on the wedding?”

“No, we aren’t,” Lily shakes her head. “However, her friends who are in the Red Cross are putting it together. Both of their parents aren’t able to be here, so we are going to try to make this as special as possible for them.”

“Well, let me know if I can help in any way,” Jacob says.

“I’ll be sure to do that,” she says with a smile.

. . .

September 16, 1940

“Guess who?” Jacob says as he covers Lily’s eyes.

“Matthew?” Lily jokes. She knows exactly who it is.

“Oh, I’m offended,” he says, and Lily giggles as he sits down next to her. “What are you reading?”

“A book,” Lily teases.

“Really?” Jacob says with a raised eyebrow. “I never could have guessed. What’s the book?”

“Pride and Prejudice.”

“Oh, a classic,” Jacob says. “Are you enjoying it?”

“I’ve read it quite a few times. We only have so many books here, so I’m rereading it.”

“One of your favorites?”

“It is,” Lily responds with a smile.

“Whatcha reading, Marky?” Matthew teases.

“A book, Chucky,” Jacob responds but not looking up.

“What’s the book?”

“Pride and Prejudice.”

This gets a bout of laughs from the men.

“Why are you reading that?” Elias says. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you read a book.”

“It’s one of Lily’s favorites, so I’m borrowing it from her and reading it.”

This comment from Jacob results in the men looking at each other knowingly. So, Jacob isn’t in love with Lily, right?”

. . .

October 11, 1940

“We missed you this past Friday at the Red Cross evening,” Jacob says to Lily as she’s setting up for the day’s activities.

Lily sniffles. “Yeah, I came down with a cold, so I stayed in my room.”

“Are you feeling better, now?” Jacob asks, concerned.

“Yeah, I have a bit of a runny nose still but nothing to worry about.”

“You’re sick, so shouldn’t we be a little bit concerned?”

“I was a lot worse the other day, so, in theory, no.”

Jacob doesn’t seem convinced. “Sure, if you say so, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to be worried about you.”

Lily isn’t sure how to respond. She’s tried everything in her power to conceal her feelings towards Jacob; however, when he acts like this and cares for her like this, it’s hard to hide them. It’s only a matter of time before they go away, right?

. . .

November 5, 1940

“Maybe you should ask a girl to dance tonight,” Mark suggests. “It’ll take your mind off of what’s happening.”

It’s been a tough month with training and fighting. The men are tired and exhausted and stretched thin. When there is a day off, all anyone wants to do is sleep and catch up on writing home. Today is one of the few days that anyone wants to actually do anything on their day off. To seize the opportunity, the boys are going dancing.

“I think I’m good,” Jacob replies.

“Come on, live a little, have some fun, Marky,” Mark eggs on. “How about this, you tell me what you want in a girl, and I will try to find you someone who fits the bill.”

Jacob sighs. “Fine.”

“Then, Marky, close your eyes and tell me about what you want in a girl.”

Jacob closes his eyes and begins picturing the girl he wants to marry. His eyes are closed for a few seconds, but he suddenly snaps them open. He shouldn’t be picturing Lily’s green eyes or dark hair. He shouldn’t be smiling at the memory of Lily’s giggle. Why was he picturing his friend? Why was Lily’s face all he could see when he closed his eyes?

“You figure it out?” Mark asks.

“Oh, um,” Jacob begins with a shaky breath. “Blue or brown eyes? Maybe light hair. It doesn’t have to be blond or anything. Like, light brown hair? Or a mix?” Yeah, opposite of what Lily looked like.

Thankfully, Chris didn’t catch on to what Jacob was doing. Why was he thinking about Lily as his dream girl?

. . .

December 16, 1940

“Are you ready?” Lily asks Annica. “It’s the big day.”

“I think so,” Annica responds nervously. Lily helps Annica put on her veil.

“You look so beautiful; Elias is going to love you,” Lily tells her friend. Today was the big day. Annica and Elias were getting married, finally. From meeting before the war and somehow ending up in the same place, the pair fell in love and are finally getting married.

“I hope so,” she responds. “What if he isn’t there?”

“He’ll be there, I promise. He loves you more than anything in the world; I have no doubt that Elias will be standing there in his dress uniform ready to sweep you off your feet.”

Annica takes a deep breath. “Let’s head to the cathedral?”

Lily smiles. “Let’s head to the cathedral.”

“Ready, Elias?” Jacob asks. “As best man, I think it’s my responsibility to make sure you’re ready.”

Elias takes a deep breath. “I think so.”

“You look great, and she’ll love you.”

“The bride is here,” the bishop says. “Jacob, if you could head to the back and Elias, follow me?”

Elias nods. “I’m getting married!”

Jacob smiles. “That you are.”

Jacob heads to the back of the cathedral to get ready to process in with the few bridesmaids and groomsmen.

“You have the rings?” Lily asks when Jacob finally reaches the vestibule.

“Yes, I have the rings,” Jacob says and looks at Lily. the breath leaves his body. “Wow, you look beautiful, Lily.”

Lily feels the heat rush to her face. “Thank you. You don’t look too bad yourself.”

Jacob smiles and blushes. “We should get ready, yeah?”

Lily nods. “We’re walking down the aisle together.”

Jacob stops. He was supposed to lead Lily down the aisle when she was dressed in that beautiful dress that made his heart race? “Oh, okay.”

As the music begins, Lily and Jacob walk down the aisle as instructed. Throughout the entire ceremony, Jacob couldn’t stop staring at Lily. It didn’t matter if they were directly across from each other in the pew and Jacob had to move his head, he wanted to look at Lily. He wasn’t sure if she knew he was staring, but he didn’t care. She was so beautiful, and Jacob just couldn’t look away.

“How are you enjoying the evening, Jacob?” Lily asks as she goes and sits next to him at the ceremony.

“I’m enjoying the evening,” he responds with a smile. “I love that Elias and Annica are finally married. They are perfect for each other, and it shows.”

Lily nods in response. “I agree. I have a question for you.“

“Sure.”

“Do you see yourself getting married one day and doing all this?”

Jacob looks at Lily. “I’m not sure. Maybe? I think if I find the right woman who I want to spend the rest of my life with, then yes.”

Lily nods. “What does this perfect person entail to you?”

“I’m not sure,” Jacob responds. “I think someone who is smart, knows what she wants, kind, and passionate.” Kind of like you.

“Beauty isn’t a requirement?” Lily teases.

Jacob blushes. “Beauty is a weird concept, in my opinion. Everyone is beautiful in their own way, and everyone’s standards of beauty are different. So, if you find yourself beautiful, I’ll find you beautiful. If you don’t find yourself beautiful, then I’ll still find you beautiful because you are beautiful.”

“That’s really sweet, Jacob.”

“I can be a bit of a romantic when there isn’t a war to be fought.”

Lily laughs. “I can see that.”

“How about you? Do you see yourself getting married one day?”

“I think so, but similarly to you, when the right person comes, I’ll know. I do know, though, that I want to have a family.”

Jacob nods. “What do you see in your future husband?”

Lily takes a moment to respond. How can she try to describe Jacob without describing Jacob? How does she tell him that she sees him, or someone like him, to be her future husband? Fortunately, though, another soldier walks up to Lily and Jacob interrupting Lily’s response.

“I don’t mean to be rude, but a pretty girl like you should be dancing, no?” he says. Smooth, Lily thinks.

“If someone were to ask me, then I’d dance with them,” Lily flirts back. If Jacob wasn’t ever going to reciprocate her feelings, she should be able to try to move on, right?

“Well, ma’am, may I have the next dance?”

Lily looks to Jacob for confirmation. Afterall, they were having a conversation. Jacob motions his hand to express that Lily could dance. What was he to say, anyways? No, Lily, you can’t dance because we’re just friends, but you make my heart burst? No Lily you can’t dance with him because you make me calm and happy, but we’re just friends?

Lily takes this soldier’s hand and follows him to the dance floor.

“If it’s not too much to ask, may I ask your name, soldier?” Lily asks.

“Corporal Liam Springs,” Liam responds. Lower rank than Jacob Lily thinks to herself. Stop comparing the two. “And you are?”

“Red Cross worker Lily Stratton. How do you know the bride and groom?”

“I trained with Elias before getting transferred to a different unit.”

Lily nods. “I work with Annica, and we are close friends. That’s how I know the bride.”

As the song continues, Lily and Liam strike up a conversation. The constant thought that Lily kept having were along the lines of “that’s not how Jacob does it” or “Jacob is funnier” or “Jacob makes me smile more”. What was wrong with her? Why couldn’t she try to get over Jacob? It was obvious that Jacob would never feel the same, so why was she hung up on him? Because. Because Lily Stratton was in love with Jacob Markstrom, and there was nothing she could do about it.

Meanwhile, as Lily and Liam danced, Jacob was staring at the pair and sulking. There was something upsetting about watching Lily dancing with someone else.

“What are you staring at?” Chris asks Jacob as he approaches.

Jacob doesn’t realize someone was talking to him or came up to his table.

“Marky, what are you looking at?” Chris asks again; Jacob doesn’t realize. Chris smacks Jacob’s arm.

“Hey!” he finally says. “What was that for?”

“What are you staring at?” Chris asks for the third time.

Jacob doesn’t say anything but returns his gaze back to what he was staring at. This time, Chris follows Jacob’s eyeline and realizes what Jacob was looking at. He was looking at Lily, dressed in a beautiful blush dress, dancing with Liam.

“Jacob,” Chris begins.

“Why doesn’t she want to dance with me?” Jacob asks. “I’m right here, and she chooses to dance with him. I’m not disappearing or going anywhere.”

“Why do you want to dance with her?” Chris asks. Jacob always insisted that he and Lily were just friends, so why is he getting so worked up over Lily dancing with someone else?

“Because, I don’t know,” Jacob says and shakes his head. “I want to be the one to have all her attention. I want to be the one on the receiving end of her smiles. I want to be the one to dance with her. I want to be the one who she goes to when she has the biggest news or the smallest news. I just want to be around her.”

“Can I say something without you getting upset or mad at me?” Chris approaches.

“Maybe, I’m not promising anything.”

“That’s fair,” Chris begins. “I think you’re feeling this way because you’re jealous.”

“Why would I be jealous?”

Chris opens his mouth but then closes it again.

“Just say it.”

“Jacob, you’re in love with her, and I think you’re finally starting to realize that yourself.”

Jacob stares at Chris dumbfounded. He wanted to contradict his friend; however, as he sat with the thought, the more he realized that Chris was right. Jacob was in love with Lily, and he probably drew away your love because he acted in ways that represented he only wanted to be your friend. “Oh my goodness, I’m in love with her.”

Chris nods.

“What do I do? Do I just tell her? What if she doesn’t feel the same way?”

“I’m not sure what to tell you, Jacob,” Chris says. “I’m pretty sure she feels the same way, but whatever you do, you have to commit one hundred percent. You can’t go into it and only have one foot in and one foot out. She deserves the truth and everything you have to offer.”

Jacob nods. What does he do now?

. . .

“So, you and Lily, huh?” Jacob says to Liam quite passive-aggressively a few days later.

“Oh, um it’s nothing too serious,” Liam says. “We’re just talking and getting to know each other.”

Jacob scowls at the other soldier. “She’s a special girl, so don’t string her along if you have no serious intentions with her.”

“I wasn’t?”

“Good,” Jacob says and walks away angrily. That man shouldn’t get to have Lily’s love and attention. He wasn’t good enough for Lily.

. . .

“Guess what Elias told me?” Annica says as she and Lily are preparing for the day.

“What did Elias tell you?” Lily asks. “Something gross about your guys’ married life now?”

“Lily!” Annica says shocked. “Don’t worry, I wouldn’t share that with you. No, Jacob and Liam got into a fight.”

“What?” Lily asks, shocked.

“Yeah, they were arguing about something and Liam punched him.”

“Do you know why they fought?”

Annica shakes her head. “I do have a theory, though.”

“What’s your theory?”

“You.”

“Me?” Lily asks.

“I think they fought about you because they both like you.”

“I’d believe you except for the fact that Jacob doesn’t like me like that.”

“I don’t know what to say to you, Lily. I think Jacob likes you, and you should talk to him.”

“Maybe,” is all Lily says. Why would Jacob like her if he’s only ever treated her as a friend?

. . .

“Did you know that vegetables can make you tan?” Liam says to Lily out of blue.

“What?” Lily says with a giggle. “There’s no way that’s true.”

“It is! I promise; I learned it in school.”

“Where did you go to school?” Jacob questions annoyingly. He can’t stand Liam, and Liam did punch Jacob in the jaw. Granted, however, Jacob was egging on Liam, but what else was he to say as Liam talked about how you weren’t good enough for him? Liam should be lucky to have you.

“I went to the University of British Columbia,” Liam answers in a tone that Lily couldn’t quite decipher.

“Of course you did; it makes sense why you learned that in school.”

“I’m sorry?”

“Nothing,” Jacob says and looks away. There was no reason for Jacob’s comment. He had no hate against UBC except for the fact that Liam learned something from there that was bringing out your giggles. He wanted to be the one to do that. Jacob wanted to make you giggle and laugh, not UBC Liam.

“Jacob,” Lily says to him in an aggravated voice. “Can we go talk in private for a moment?”

“Sure,” Jacob says in a monotone voice.

“Jacob, what is the matter with you?” Lily fiercely says to Jacob when they’re in private.

“What, Lily?” Jacob says.

“Why are you treating Liam like that?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You’re acting like an idiot and are being truly mean and cold towards him. Why can’t you be nice to him?”

“Why are you even entertaining him, Lily?” Jacob asks with conviction.

“I don’t know,” Lily confesses.

“Really? It doesn’t seem like. It seems like you’re in love with him!”

“Well, I’m not in love with him.”

“Then why do you care for him?”

“I guess because he makes me laugh, makes me smile, and gives me attention. He cares for me, and it’s nice to have that feeling.”

“You are entertaining him for the attention he gives you? I can make you laugh, smile, and give you attention, yet you chose his attention?”

“His attention isn’t the one I want, but it’s the one I get,” Lily tells Jacob.

Jacob looks at her with a sad expression. “Yeah, whatever.”

He walks away, and Lily is beyond confused. She kind of just admitted to having feelings for Jaocb, and he just walked away?

. . .

“I’m not sure what funk you’re in, but it needs to stop,” Mark says. This was the captain's cornering that Jacob was expecting to come soon. “It’s not affecting your fighting, but it will soon.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jacob responds.

“No, I tried to let you figure this out on your own, but it’s not working,” Mark contradicts with purpose in his voice. “What’s wrong? You’re not leaving until you figure out what’s wrong.”

“I think I blew it with Lily,” is all Jacob says. “I treated Liam like crap, and I think that’s the end of anything with her. She hasn’t talked to me in days. I miss her. I’m also in love with her, and I know I blew that with her.”

“Wait, you’re in love with her? When did you finally realize this?”

“When she started dancing with Liam,” Jacob says.

“If I’m not mistaken, I don’t think she’s been hanging out with him recently.”

“Wait, really?” Jacob says shocked.

“Whether or not you believe me, but I think she likes you, too.”

“No, she doesn’t,” Jacob insists.

“Yes, she does. I just think you didn’t know how you felt, so you ignored anything she did that might have indicated this. How many times did she spend her evenings with you? Or, did she go to you when she needed help? It didn’t matter, she always went to you or your aid. She always went to you first if Annica wasn’t around which is saying a lot because the pair are super close.”

Jacob just stares at Mark dumbfounded. He’s right. Did Lily really feel the same way? Was it possible? What if Lily didn’t feel the same way anymore? What if Jacob ruined anything ever happening? In order to quell any lingering thoughts, he knew that he had to talk to Lily.

. . .

January 1, 1941

New year, new start, right? That’s the saying? Jacob couldn’t set the world on it’s new start overnight, but he could fix his relationship with Lily. Hopefully.

You can do this, Jacob keeps telling himself. If she didn’t feel the same way anymore, then Jacob would understand. It took him hell of an amount of time to realize himself, so he’d understand if Lily got tired of waiting. He could do this.

Jacob walks into the kitchen where Annica told him Lily would be. “Hey,” he says when he walks in.

Lily looks up and gives him a soft smile. “Hey, Jacob. Happy New Year!”

“Happy New Year to you as well!” Jacob says and takes a deep breath. “Would it be okay if we went for a walk? I asked Annica, and she said that you deserve a break.”

Lily laughs. “Sure, let me just wash my hands and grab my coat. Give me a sec.”

Jacob nods.

“Ready?” Lily asks when she returns. Jacob smiles at her and leads Lily out of the kitchen to go outside. After about five minutes of walking in silence, Lily decides to ask what the reason for requesting a walk was. “Jacob, why do you want to go on a walk with me?”

“Can’t I just want to go on a New Year's walk with my lovely friend?”

“You are, but we aren’t really talking much right now.”

“That’s what I want to fix. I have one question first, what’s happening with you and Liam?”

“Nothing, I told him that I couldn’t be with him romantically if I was in love with someone else. Why do you ask?”

“I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t making a move on someone else’s girlfriend.”

“Who do you want to make a move on?” Lily asks obliviously.

Jacob gives Lily a deep chuckle. “You.”

Lily stops in her tracks and it takes a moment for Jacob to realize. “You want me?” she asks.

“I want everything with you. I know that I was an ass to Liam, and I treated you unfairly recently. In my defense, though, I finally realized I was in love with you, and I thought you didn’t like me or already got over me.”

“It’s hard to get over someone you’re crazy about,” Lily says, and Jacob erupts into a large smile.

“You mean that?”

Lily nods. “I’ve been crazy about you since that day you scared the crap out of me.”

Jacob laughs at the memory. “I think I’ve been crazy about you, too, but I just didn’t realize.”

“Good thing you realized now, yeah?”

“Absolutely,” Jacob says and cups Lily’s cheek. “Can I kiss you?”

Lily nods. “Absolutely.” The gentle kiss that Jacob places on Lily’s lips was immaculate. She never knew that kissing someone so softly could also be filled with so much passion. She knew that she never wanted to kiss anyone else ever again. “What do we do now?” Lily asks after they break away from the kiss.

“Well, we finish fighting this war, I bring you home with me to meet my family, and we live happily ever after,” Jacob says with a smile. “Is that okay?”

“Absolutely perfect,” Lily says and reaches to kiss Jacob again.

. . .

March 18, 1946

“Should I put my hand under yours?” Lily asks Jacob, her now husband. They were about to cut the cake at their wedding reception filled with their friends and family.

“Yes, you do that,” Jacob says and places a kiss on top of his wife’s head. The cut into the cake and cut a piece and put it on the plate. They both grab a fork to take a piece. They look eyes before eating the cake and smile. After finishing their bite, Jacob and Lily kiss amongst the hoots and cheers from the people gathered around them.

“Nice cake choice, Mrs. Markstrom,” Jacob says.

“See? This is why we listen to me.”

Jacob chuckles. “I guess I have forever to listen to you.”

“That you do.”

All the way across the world they had a love story. Now, on the other side, they had their forever. All the way across the world in England bloomed a friendship and love story for the ages. All the way in Calgary, though, Jacob and Lily had the start of their forever that was a story that instilled hope in all young people and couples.

#jacob markstrom #jacob markstrom fic #jacob markstrom imagine #jacob markstrom x reader #nhl fic #nhl writing #nhl imagine #hockey fic #hockey imagine #calgary flames imagine #calgary flames fic #calgary flames x reader #40s au #claudia writes

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