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Love tempered by distance, war
by Suzanne Rook, Wake Weekly Associate Editor
January 1, 2004
When Sabrina Fabiunke came to America in July 2001, her goals were simple: perfect her English and dive head first into her new job as an au pair.
She never expected to find love. Not in a roller rink. Certainly not with an American soldier. So much for expectations. For months, the now 22-year-old from Bonn, Germany, concentrated on little more than the needs of the four Wake Forest children she was caring for. She enjoyed being with children, tending to their needs and supervising their play dates with friends. During a few of those outings, Sabrina got to know Alice Forte, the grandmother of one of her young charge's friends. Before long, Forte found Sabrina so enchanting she decided she had to introduce Sabrina to her adult grandson, Scott Nelson. It was January 2002, Sabrina said, during an outing to Jellybeans roller rink that the magic happened. Sabrina had taken the oldest of the children she cared for to the rink, while Alice -- unbeknownst to Sabrina -- called Scott and insisted he come skating. And meet Sabrina. By the end of the evening, Scott, too, was enchanted. The 23-year-old acted quickly, convincing Sabrina to go out with him the following night. The date, which Sabrina says included a movie, bowling and shooting pool, was enough to convince Scott his grandmother's instincts were correct, his sister Brandy said. That night, he told both Brandy and their mom, Cris Nelson, Sabrina was the girl he was going to marry. Sabrina blushes, unsure if Scott would want his feelings so publicly revealed. Brandy assures her he wouldn't mind. The new relationship was quickly tested, as it would be in time and time again. Almost immediately, Sabrina left for a two-week vacation home. Shortly after her return, it was Scott who left -- for basic training in Fort Benning, Ga. During their separations, Sabrina says the two communicated mostly by letter. The old-fashioned way, she said, allowed them to open up in ways they might not have otherwise. And it drew them together. While Scott found love almost immediately, Sabrina wasn't sure until June when Scott graduated and was assigned to serve in Büdingen, Germany. It was then, she said, she finally believed they could have a future together. Following a three-week leave, Scott left for Germany. Sabrina stayed behind, living for more than a month in Wake Forest with Brandy and Cris. In Germany, the couple was just two hours away by car, three by train. They took turns visiting each other on weekends. "Either I came to see him on Friday or he came to see me," said Sabrina, who enrolled in a Bonn college. On Christmas Eve 2002, the two were engaged. Two months later, Scott learned his unit would be sent to Iraq. They left for a year in war-torn Baghdad April 29. "I was scared," confesses Sabrina. Scott seemed unfazed, she said. "Out front he was calm," said his sister Brandy. "Who knows what he was like on the inside." Sabrina believes he may have been trying to spare her. "Maybe he just wanted to show that so I wouldn't be more sad." Except for a two-week leave last month, the pair live for Scott's sporadic phone calls, the letters that first brought them together and the day he'll leave Iraq. Sometimes, Sabrina says, blushing again, she re-reads the notes. They bring her comfort. Sabrina spent this Dec. 24 with Scott's family in Wake Forest. Last year, the couple celebrated the holidays in Germany. "This year, since he can't be here, I wanted to spend Christmas here. We're going to take turns every year," she said. In Wake Forest, Sabrina says she felt Scott's presence. His family shared dozens of stories of his childhood, showed her every photo of him imaginable. And everywhere they went they videotaped the proceedings, which Sabrina will later convert to a DVD and send to Scott in Iraq. Sabrina and Scott have planned to do little more than spend their lives together. They'll marry three times this year -- a civil ceremony and church wedding in Germany and a smaller exchange of vows in Wake Forest. They've yet to set a date. Dates, plans -- they all hinge on where the Army sends Scott. The future doesn't matter, she believes, as long as they're together. Until his April return, Sabrina will live for Scott's occasional phone calls and try not to think about the danger he's in. "I'm just happy when I hear his voice," she said. "Then, I know that he's OK."
Last Updated On: January 1, 2004
Copyright 2004 The Wake Weekly