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Slowly, I unfolded the paper pages, my eyes shut tight as I drew in a deep breath before taking in the lost words of my long-gone friend.
Ethan,
Hope this letter finds you well. Things are intense over here. I know we haven’t spoken in a while, but I need a favor.
In case something happens to me, I trust you to take care of Beth. Yeah, I know it’s a heavy ask, but you’re the only one I’d trust with it.
We’ve been through a lot, man. Remember the crazy times back in boot camp? Those memories keep me going here. But it’s a different world, and sometimes it feels like a whole lifetime has passed since then.
Just wanted to say, take care of yourself and those you care about. Don’t focus on the past, focus on the future.
Life’s short, and we never know what’s around the corner.
Stay strong, my friend. I’ll see you again, soon.
All the best,
Jake
I squeezed my eyes shut, sinking deeper into the couch, letting Jake’s unspoken last words wash over me. Where had Jake been when he’d written this final letter to me? The date on the envelope indicated it must have been sent a week before he was killed.
Take care of Beth. Take care of Beth.
The mantra echoed in my head like the rhythmic beating of a drum.
I raised the glass to my lips once more, draining it and walked to the kitchen to pour another one.
Take care of Beth.
I needed to see Beth.
Chapter 21: Ethan
Two years earlier...
It had been one week since the devastating news of Jake’s passing in the line of duty.
The city’s relentless rain mirrored the ceaseless cascade of tears that refused to be contained by the attendees at his funeral today.
While I wasn’t one to easily shed tears, Jake’s loss was different. He had been there for me during the darkest and loneliest nights of deployment, and his unwavering courage to return to action had always been a source of admiration for me.
It felt surreal, impossible to fathom that he was gone.
Standing beside me at the site of Jake’s grave was his wife, Beth, long after the other mourners had departed.
I held an umbrella over her, but she defiantly pushed my hand away, choosing to stand in the downpour as if it were a form of penance for the loss of her soulmate. They’d only been married for two years and the majority of that time he’d been on tour.
“I’m so sorry, Beth,” I whispered, unsure if my words could penetrate the veil of the May rainstorm.
“I wish it’d been me instead. I should have been there with him,” I uttered, as if my presence could have altered the tragic course of events.
After thirty more minutes of heavy silence and unyielding rain, I started to get concerned.
We were both soaked through, and a gusty windstorm had picked up.
“Beth,” I said tentatively, turning to her as she continued to gaze at the plot where her husband now rested. Tears had ceased and her eyes were angrier now. “You should really eat something and get out of the rain. Do you want to head back to the church? I think they said there were sandwiches...”
She let out a low sigh, her eyes finally shifting to meet mine, cheeks stained with tears that the rain hadn’t managed to wash away from her pale complexion.
