"Whitlock." Two letters landed on the table next Jasper. He swallowed quickly, and grabbed the letters.
"Grant." He heard, then the slap of a letter being dropped on the table on his other side. Ryan's hand reached out, faster than Jasper's had been, and snatched it up. His eyes scanned it, and his face lit up.
"It's from Sophie." He told Jasper, setting it back down next to his plate very carefully. "What about you? You got a girl back home?" Jasper smiled to himself, and picked up his letters, reading the return address on the first. That one was from his mom and dad.
"Sorta. I guess." He answered Ryan, laying down the first letter. He wasn't really sure if he was...allowed to say that Alice was his girlfriend. Was she? Did she want to be? He read the address on the second one, and his heart jumped, a smile lighting up his face. This one was from Alice. He heard Ryan laugh from what seemed like a half mile away.
"Even if she's not, you wish she was." He said, didn't ask. He's right. Jasper thought. I wish she was.
"I'm heading out." Jasper said, standing up and untangling his legs from the long bench they sat on. He clapped Ryan on the back and picked up his letters, then strode out of the tent.
He sat on his bunk, reading his letters slowly in the almost empty tent.
Jasper,
We were so glad when we got your letter!
That was his mom's handwriting. His dad's was a lot messier, and scrunched up.
I was so worried about you, in fact, I still am. Promise me you'll be careful, won't you dear? The Woods found out their son was killed just two days ago! It was horrible and the poor woman is devastated, simply devastated. You won't do that to your poor mother, will you?
Well. My garden out in the back yard is doing very well. The sunflowers are huge! I wish you could see them. Oh, I miss you so much!
Is there anything you need? Clothes? Blankets? Paper? Socks? Anything?
You'll write me before you're shipped over seas, won't you?
You're father says hello, and to tell you that he misses you. There was a big storm last night and the damp weather is making his bad knee act up.
Oh my goodness! I'm sorry to cut this short, darling, but I smell dinner burning!
Lots of Love,
Mama
Lydia Whitlock
Jasper laughed at the way his mom ended it. It was just like her. He'd expected her to be borderline panicking, so he wasn't surprised that she took up half the letter with worrying about him. He set that letter aside, and picked up the one from Alice. He slit it open very carefully, and started to read as slowly has he could, to make it last.
He read it over another time after that, and grinned. He looked around quickly, to make sure no one was watching, then brought the piece of paper up to his face, and inhaled. He'd been right; he could smell Alice's perfume on it. He set the letter down by beside him, fast, as he heard someone else coming in.
That night, by the light of a lamp, he sat outside the tent and started writing back to Alice. There were plenty of stars out, and he kept glancing up at them while he was thinking of what to say.
"Grant." He heard, then the slap of a letter being dropped on the table on his other side. Ryan's hand reached out, faster than Jasper's had been, and snatched it up. His eyes scanned it, and his face lit up.
"It's from Sophie." He told Jasper, setting it back down next to his plate very carefully. "What about you? You got a girl back home?" Jasper smiled to himself, and picked up his letters, reading the return address on the first. That one was from his mom and dad.
"Sorta. I guess." He answered Ryan, laying down the first letter. He wasn't really sure if he was...allowed to say that Alice was his girlfriend. Was she? Did she want to be? He read the address on the second one, and his heart jumped, a smile lighting up his face. This one was from Alice. He heard Ryan laugh from what seemed like a half mile away.
"Even if she's not, you wish she was." He said, didn't ask. He's right. Jasper thought. I wish she was.
"I'm heading out." Jasper said, standing up and untangling his legs from the long bench they sat on. He clapped Ryan on the back and picked up his letters, then strode out of the tent.
He sat on his bunk, reading his letters slowly in the almost empty tent.
Jasper,
We were so glad when we got your letter!
That was his mom's handwriting. His dad's was a lot messier, and scrunched up.
I was so worried about you, in fact, I still am. Promise me you'll be careful, won't you dear? The Woods found out their son was killed just two days ago! It was horrible and the poor woman is devastated, simply devastated. You won't do that to your poor mother, will you?
Well. My garden out in the back yard is doing very well. The sunflowers are huge! I wish you could see them. Oh, I miss you so much!
Is there anything you need? Clothes? Blankets? Paper? Socks? Anything?
You'll write me before you're shipped over seas, won't you?
You're father says hello, and to tell you that he misses you. There was a big storm last night and the damp weather is making his bad knee act up.
Oh my goodness! I'm sorry to cut this short, darling, but I smell dinner burning!
Lots of Love,
Mama
Lydia Whitlock
Jasper laughed at the way his mom ended it. It was just like her. He'd expected her to be borderline panicking, so he wasn't surprised that she took up half the letter with worrying about him. He set that letter aside, and picked up the one from Alice. He slit it open very carefully, and started to read as slowly has he could, to make it last.
He read it over another time after that, and grinned. He looked around quickly, to make sure no one was watching, then brought the piece of paper up to his face, and inhaled. He'd been right; he could smell Alice's perfume on it. He set the letter down by beside him, fast, as he heard someone else coming in.
That night, by the light of a lamp, he sat outside the tent and started writing back to Alice. There were plenty of stars out, and he kept glancing up at them while he was thinking of what to say.
