by Ally James
That had been the easy part. But back in her car, with pen in hand, she drew a blank. She wanted to make the person who received the card smile. To take them away from whatever they were facing for a few moments. Maybe make them a little less homesick—at least while they were reading her letter. But how? Well . . . talking about the weather probably isn’t going to cut it. Hey, you think you’ve got it bad, buddy, I’m a spinster who lives with her brother. Wait—why not vent to a stranger? At least give them a version of the truth. It was pretty much the only unusual thing to happen to her in recent history, and there was an entire piece of paper to fill.
Dear Soldier:
Greetings from North Carolina. I hope this finds you well and having a much better day than I’ve had. So I made the unfortunate mistake of attending a family reunion earlier. I know, I know. I can only blame it on a severe lapse in judgment. Let me stop there and fill you in on a bit of my backstory so that you can fully appreciate what transpired.
I am a thirty-five-year-old woman, and I work as a nanny for my brother’s family. I have a college degree in business administration, and I was employed in that field for several years. Then my niece Kaylee was born. She has asthma and constantly fell sick when she was put into day care. They hired a few different nannies, but due to my sister-in-law’s colorful personality, none of them stayed for very long. When Kaylee was two, I agreed to use my vacation time to help them out of a jam. My brother was going out of town on business, and his wife couldn’t get time off from work to watch their daughter. Long story short, I ended up leaving my job and watching Kaylee full-time. I wasn’t happy where I was working . . . and it was only supposed to be until they found a replacement. That was three years ago. I’m completely in love with my niece and it’s never been a hardship to care for her. But—well, let me get back to the events of the day before I go there.
My extended family is very . . . vocal.
All those words worked. She described the embarrassment that had been the family luncheon, intentionally leaving out Chloe’s comments. What body shape do I have and what should I be wearing? She pondered that while she filled in her ghastly story. Spinster quarantine. This poor soldier reader. Sara knew it was time to lighten things up a little more. She continued with:
Don’t worry, we’ll have loads of fun playing shuffle board and bingo. If you play your cards right, I’ll let you take my scooter for a ride. That sounded rather risqué.
Risqué? Who even used that word anymore . . . She was so out of practice writing letters.
If you’re a woman, this must sound even more insane.
Sara stopped writing for a minute and wondered who would be the lucky recipient of her letter. But did it matter? If it brought a moment of cheer . . . She added a few more lines and then thought about how to sign off her note. Sara Ryan? That seemed too boring. Sara the nanny? Oh Lord. Even worse. She rolled her eyes and cursed the lack of good coffee in her life. Putting pen back to paper, she wrote:
Take care and be safe,
Sara the spinster—and future cat lady
She hesitated for a moment, then on a whim, included her e-mail address. A reply was doubtful after the letter she’d written, but it could happen. She addressed the envelope, then slid the letter inside the card and added a stamp that she found in her wallet. She also used a few Charlie Brown stickers that Kaylee had left in the car. There was a mail drop on her way home, and she hesitated only a moment before dropping it inside. What did it matter? The person who’d receive it didn’t know her, nor was she likely ever to hear from them. She was simply attempting to combine a little self-therapy with spreading cheer to a stranger.
Oddly enough, she was in better spirits. She even found herself humming along to the radio as she pulled into the driveway of her brother’s home. Her good humor ended abruptly when she crossed the threshold and heard screaming. She hurried in the direction of the noise and found Kaylee on the floor of the living room throwing a tantrum, while Nicole and Chris stared down at her. “I’ll let you have anything you want from Walmart if you’ll be a good girl,” Nicole coxed. To Sara’s amazement, Kaylee went quiet. It was as if Nicole had flipped a switch. When her brother high-fived his wife, Sara couldn’t resist the urge to roll her eyes. She’d just witnessed exactly why they had no control over their daughter. Kaylee was a very smart little girl, and she knew how to play them. Naturally there are times that many parents resort to a little bribery to get some much-needed peace, but Sara had a feeling this was not the exception but the rule where they were concerned.
When Chris spotted Sara, he released an audible sigh. Nicole turned to see what had gotten his attention, and frowned down at her watch. “Where have you been? Joan said you left the reunion over an hour ago.”
Sara felt the usual irritation when dealing with her snooty sister-in-law. Yet was it really Nicole’s fault that she allowed herself to be treated like a doormat? “This is my day off, Nicole. And since that doesn’t happen often, I had things to do.”
“Sarie!” Kaylee called out as she raced across the room and hurled herself at Sara’s knees. “I missed you lots.”
“Hey, munchkin,” Sara murmured as she let her hand rest on top of Kaylee’s head. “I see you’ve been a good girl while I was gone,” she added wryly.
Kaylee moved back a few inches to look up at her. “Mommy got mad ’cause I was playing in her girlie stuff.” She did a perfect rendition of Nicole’s scowl before adding, “Kaylee Marie, that cost over two hundred dollars. You’re grounded ’til you’re thirty.” And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen. Successful Parenting 101—hand out ridiculous consequences to ensure your child will never take you or your discipline seriously.
As Kaylee awaited her reaction, Sara was torn between laughter and exasperation. This was far from the first time this particular thing had happened. And no matter how many times she pointed out to the other woman that she should keep valuable things from her daughter’s reach, she still refused to heed Sara’s warnings. It was almost as if she wanted this very thing to occur over and over so she could be the victim. If that was the case, it had backfired on her today with Sara not here to do damage control. Instead of chastising Kaylee, it took everything she had not to applaud her for neatly turning the tables on her mother. Chris appeared embarrassed that she’d witnessed the episode, which was ironic considering she was on the front lines here every day. “Nic, you could put that lotion in the bathroom cabinet. Kaylee doesn’t know that it’s that expensive—neither did I, for that matter.” He said the last part under his breath, but they all heard it.
“Come on, munchkin, help me put my stuff away,” Sara said as she attempted to lead her niece from the room. Not only did she not want to hear her brother and his wife arguing, she didn’t want Kaylee to either.
But the little girl seemed determined to dally. “You don’t got anything, Sarie,” she said as she looked up at Sara in confusion. “What do you need help for?” Sometimes it was a real pain how literal everything was for kids. Another adult would have likely taken the hint, but not a five-year-old.
“Er—I meant, let’s go start dinner. I bet you’re hungry.” When Kaylee opened her mouth, Sara decided to forgo waiting for her reply, knowing they’d still be standing there in an hour. So she bent down to pick her niece up instead. “You gotta know when to fold ’em, kid,” she whispered as she whisked her from the room and down the hallway toward their wing of the house. Luckily, Chris and Nicole’s room was upstairs, and Sara’s and Kaylee’s were downstairs. Without that modicum of privacy, there was no way she could have stayed for so long.
“I missed you,” Kaylee said once again, and Sara hugged her before sitting her down.
“Me too, kiddo. I should have taken you with me today.” Maybe I could have passed her off as my kid. Proof I’ve had sex.
Kaylee climbed up on Sara’s bed and lay back on
a pillow as if she’d been thoroughly exhausted by the day. Sara kicked off her shoes and settled in next to her. “Can we go to Walmart and get my toy?”
“What toy?” Sara asked absently, before remembering Nicole’s bribery. “Sweetie, you know that you don’t deserve a reward, don’t you? Remember how I explained that you’re to listen to and respect adults?” Even your mother. She kept that part to herself and continued on, “Throwing a tantrum to force your mom to buy you something isn’t right.”
Kaylee was silent for a few moments as if mulling over her words. “But saying mean stuff about your kid isn’t good either, is it, Sarie? She said she wished her daughter was a proper young lady. And how Melody was so lucky.”
Kaylee recalled her mother’s words in a detached voice, but Sara could sense the underlying hurt beneath her almost robotic tone. Melody was a news anchor at the television station where Nicole worked, and also one of her closest friends. Her daughter, Maisie, was only a year older than Kaylee, but they were complete opposites in most every way. As far as she could tell, Maisie was a miniature clone of her well-dressed mother. She’d be surprised if the child even owned any toys. At six, she was so poised, she even made Sara feel self-conscious. Rolling up onto her side, Sara laid a hand on Kaylee’s stomach. “Well . . . I bet I know something you can do that Maisie can’t.” The little girl’s eyebrows rose in interest, making her look so darned adorable that Sara wanted to pull her into a big hug, but she managed to resist—for now. “Can you imagine Maisie making dinner? Especially something as messy as spaghetti?”
Kaylee jumped right in, matching Sara’s theatrical voice as she said, “Oh no, what if she got the red sauce on her dress? That would be the worst thing ever.”
“The absolute horror of it,” Sara shuddered as she clapped her hands against her face. Then in her best Southern belle voice she added, “Oh my goodness, this is dreadful. How can I possibly go on my playdate with Mercedes and Lexus? We were going to play the piano and pet Lexus’s hairless cat. Now it’s all ruined! Simply ruined. My life is over!”
Kaylee giggled, although she probably didn’t understand half of it. Which was apparent a moment later when she asked, “They got cats with no hairs? What do you rub, then?”
Sara couldn’t help it; she snuggled the little girl close and inhaled the sweet scent she’d come to know so well. There was nothing wrong with how she spent her time. She might not have a boyfriend, or her own home, or even her own child. But this precious little girl deserved love, and Sara knew that her life wasn’t a sad existence. For now. How could I even imagine my life without seeing her every day? She attempted to quiet the thoughts that swirled in her head and just enjoy the moment with her niece.
She thought back to Chloe’s words and wondered if she had been truthful. “You really have no clue how attractive you are, do you? If you put yourself out there, you wouldn’t lack for attention.” Was that all it took to find a man? But then, out of nowhere, came the one thing she couldn’t seem to block now, no matter how hard she tried. At some point, Nicole and Chris wouldn’t need her anymore. Kaylee wouldn’t need her anymore. Damn you, Aunt Lydia.
Chapter Two
Major Gabriel Randall looked up when an envelope landed on his desk unexpectedly. He was more tired than he thought if he’d missed his friend and colleague’s appearance. That was the kind of fatigue that could get you killed in Iraq. People back home might believe that the enemy had been eliminated, but the soldiers here on the front lines knew differently. For every bad guy taken out, there were three more just waiting to take their place. And it was damned difficult to fight someone who had little regard for human lives, including their own.
Gabe had been in the Army for sixteen years, and was in the middle of his seventh deployment overseas—which was more than a lot of soldiers he knew. But since he was single, with no kids, he usually volunteered when someone with his qualifications was needed. He was part of a combat brigade in the Airborne Division, and had spent a large part of his career as a paratrooper. His present role when he was stationed in the States was training new recruits and providing general counsel and assistance to the commander of the unit. His job in Iraq was working with his counterparts on how to best utilize the Airborne units there as well as being a liaison to other bases in the area for training and logistical purposes.
Being deployed was no vacation, but some locations were certainly better than others. Iraq was pretty bare-bones, and the living conditions were very basic. He had a room to himself, though, and they hadn’t yet hit the extreme summer heat, which was impossible to adjust to.
Gabe had always tried to lead by example, so when the food sucked, the Wi-Fi was out, the neighbors were tossing grenades over the fence, and he was close to heat stroke, he still attempted to present a calm exterior. If I lose my shit, everyone around me does as well. Even with the embedded reporters and firsthand accounts of soldiers, most would still never grasp what the reality of deployment was really like. The military could post all the cheerful pictures on social media that they wanted, and yes, there were days that were better than others. But it was still fucking hard. The young soldiers, save for a few, had a tough time adjusting. Right down to taking a shit, there was nothing simple about being here.
Even though he didn’t have a wife and kids missing him back in Alaska, there were still days he was so homesick he could hardly stand it. Little things like getting into a car and driving to the store were probably what he missed the most. Freedom isn’t free. That saying was one you learned damned quickly when you stepped onto foreign soil in a hostile country. Sure, there were those who welcomed them, but you can’t afford to discount the ones who didn’t. He’d never been a man who particularly liked the politics of it all. Whether he agreed with a decision or not, at the end of the day, he had a mission to complete. And he had soldiers that he’d do anything to ensure returned to the people they left behind.
“Oh, come on, bro, I saved you the best one. Aren’t you gonna open it? Mine was from a fifth-grade class in Kansas. I’m going to have a flag sent to them before I leave.”
Gabe picked up the white envelope from his desk and turned it over in his hands. It had obviously been forwarded from another source, since it was simply addressed to Dear Soldier. Maybe it was his imagination, but the writing looked neat and feminine. He’d never admit it, but he kind of liked the Charlie Brown stickers on it. He glanced up at his buddy Jason, aka Captain Jason Keller, and shrugged. “You should give this to one of the younger guys who don’t have anyone at home.” There were a lot of support groups back in the States that sent food and toiletries on a regular basis. But something as seemingly antiquated as snail mail was a big deal here. Having a handwritten message was worth more than most people could possibly guess. And he tried to make sure all of his soldiers were covered in that area.
“Got more than they can open in a week,” Jason assured him. “You know the mail has been backed up for a while, so there was a shitload that came in today.” Jason pointed to the one Gabe still held in his hand, “Take one for yourself just this once. It’s probably from a school like mine. I’ll have another flag flown for you to send out to them.”
“Yeah, sure.” Gabe nodded, knowing it was pointless to argue. He put the envelope down and pushed back from his desk. “Time to feed the troops.” Every so often, the senior commissioned and noncommissioned officers served lunch to the troops. It was a way to interact in a more relaxed manner, as well as show appreciation for their hard work. Should they run low on food, he’d eat one of the stale candy bars he kept in his desk for the days he was too busy to go to the chow hall.
The troops were in good spirits as they enjoyed not only a good meal but some much-needed time off. Gabe had been through enough deployments to detect the underlying current of melancholy that hung over the noisy room, but most appeared to be pushing it aside as they joked around with their fellow soldiers.
&nbs
p; By the time everyone was served and he’d made the minimum amount of small talk, he was ready to unwind before he caught a few hours’ sleep. But the assholes who decided to shoot grenades over the fence had other ideas. Gabe had long ago become desensitized to the sounds of explosions. And most would never be more than an annoyance, but it still required investigation and, at times, retaliation. Thus, another day had passed before he noticed the unopened envelope pushed to the side of his desk. Again, he almost ignored it, but he needed a break. Something that lets me pretend I’m anywhere but here, if even for a moment. Let’s see what you’ve got, kid.
And that’s what he expected when he opened the card and unfolded the paper tucked inside. To see a child’s handwriting. Possibly a picture drawn at the bottom. Instead, he found himself reading a letter that had him not only smiling but laughing by the end. Considering he hadn’t done it often lately, it sounded rusty even to his own ears.
Dear Soldier:
Greetings from North Carolina. I hope this finds you well and having a much better day than I’ve had. So I made the unfortunate mistake of attending a family reunion earlier. I know, I know. I can only blame it on a severe lapse in judgment. Let me stop there and fill you in on a bit of my backstory so that you can fully appreciate what transpired.
I am a thirty-five-year-old woman, and I work as a nanny for my brother’s family. I have a college degree in business administration, and I was employed in that field for several years. Then my niece Kaylee was born. She has asthma and constantly fell sick when she was put into day care. They hired a few different nannies, but due to my sister-in-law’s colorful personality, none of them stayed for very long. When Kaylee was two, I agreed to use my vacation time to help them out of a jam. My brother was going out of town on business, and his wife couldn’t get time off from work to watch their daughter. Long story short, I ended up leaving my job and watching Kaylee full-time. I wasn’t happy where I was working . . . and it was only supposed to be until they found a replacement. That was three years ago. I’m completely in love with my niece and it’s never been a hardship to care for her. But—well, let me get back to the events of the day before I go there.
