Page 5 of Love at First Write

I’m going to keep writing you here until I can come to you in person. I wish that was now, but unfortunately it can’t be.

Please forgive me.

You’re the reason I’m coming home soon.

I love you.

Ethan

ps. I’ve included a picture of me so maybe I don’t feel like such a stranger.

letters

Dear Tommy.

I’m so glad the cookies made it in time. It didn’t even occur to me that you might ship out before you got them, and you would return to a box of dusty, stale crumbs. That would truly be tragic.

I know you can’t talk about when you’re shipping out or where you’re going, but is there a way I can label the box so that someone else will open it and eat the cookies?

Not that I don’t want you to have the cookies, but I would rather if you were not there to eat them that someone else does.

I hope you are staying safe wherever you are.

Kelsie

Dear Kelsie,

Thank you for the very generous offer. If you address the box to the SEAL team instead of to me and label it perishable, someone will open it immediately. I can’t promise that all of the cookies will make it to me even if I am stateside, but someone will get them.

But please don’t feel like you have to keep sending cookies. We are definitely all enjoying them, (I can’t tell you how nice it’s been to have a taste of home) but I’m sure it’s a lot of work. Mostly, it’s just nice to know that there is someone back home occasionally thinking of me.

Cheers.

chapter three

Kelsie

His response appears less than half an hour later. Pinging in my inbox loudly enough that Caroline and Gracie hear.

“Is that him?” Gracie asks.

I don’t even glance at my phone. “It doesn’t matter. I’m not reading it.”

“What?” Caroline asks. “Kelsie, come on, surely you’re just a little curious.”

“Nope. Not even a little bit. I am officially done with, well, whatever his name is.” I unlock my phone and hand it to Caroline. “Go ahead. Appease your own curiosity.”

I busy myself boxing up some cookies I promised to drop off at my family’s ranch.

“Oh my gosh!” Gracie coos.

I sneak a glance at my friends and coworkers to find them huddled together, both locked on my phone screen.

“Holy hot pants!” Caroline says, putting a hand to her chest. She looks up at me. “He included a picture.”

“He is Ethan, by the way,” Gracie says. “Ethan Fox.”

“He sure is,” Caroline says.