Page 7 of For Every Letter

Does it make me a weirdo that I like how you smile and blush when you read my letters? If so, I guess I’m a weirdo. I bet you’re cute as hell when you blush.

And, yes, that picture was really me. My brothers dared me to send it. I’m glad you approve of the picture. And now I’m the idiot who’s blushing and trying to hide from everyone. I guess we have plenty in common that way.

Since I’m already blushing, I might as well confess. Reading your letters is the best part of my month. Is it weird I feel a connection to you even though we’ve never met in person?

Forget I said that. I blame the current tension in the camp. We don’t know anything yet. But after a decade in the Army, I can feel the tension before something big happens. Apparently, this tension makes me confess things to my pen pal by mistake that I should keep to myself.

I’m not usually a big talker. If you ever meet me in person, you’ll be disappointed with all the silence. It’s an important skill in the Army to be able to keep quiet for hours on end. I’m going to stop prattling on like a teenage boy and get this letter sent before I have to go out on patrol.

Stay safe Sadie,

Ben

13

Mermaid Motel

Smuggler’s Hideaway

March 1 st

Dear Ben,

Are you crazy? I could never be disappointed if I met you in person. So, you’re quiet. Big deal. Let’s face it. I talk enough for two people. Or two hundred, according to Dad.

Besides, you don’t need to talk. I’m perfectly content to stare at your sexy muscles all day long. You just sit there and look pretty. I’ll take care of the rest.

You are so silly. You think you don’t have any more cherries I can pop. Dude. I’ve got you covered. There’s the never seen a mermaid cherry. The meeting Sammy the seal cherry. The never been drunk on Smuggler’s Hideaway moonshine cherry. I could go on, but I think I’ve made my point.

By the way, I talked to my mom about buying the motel. She promised to discuss it with my dad. You could have blown me over with a mermaid fin when Dad actually called me. We’re meeting to discuss whether he can help me financially.

I’m a bit torn. Don’t get me wrong. I’m super excited that my dad is taking a genuine interest in my career goals but I want to buy this motel on my own. It’s my project. My dream. My goal. Is it still all mine if he helps? Am I being selfish?

I need to tell you something else but I’m scared. Okay, Sadie. Deep breaths. You can do this.

I think I’m falling for you. I know it’s completely crazy. We’ve never met in person. I’ve never even heard your voice. For all I know, you sound like Daffy Duck with a cold. But I feel this connection between us, too. And there’s never been anyone who didn’t make fun of me for prattling on. Who listened to my dreams and didn’t make fun of them. Who pushed me to deal with my parents. You’ve done all of that.

Maybe it’s because you’re stuck in the middle of… I don’t know where (I’m not asking!) and are bored out of your mind. But I don’t think so.

It’s a good thing I’m hiding in my office at the motel with the door locked because my blush is bright enough to alert a blind person of how embarrassed I am right now.

Let me be clear. I don’t expect anything from you. But I needed to be honest. If you want to stop this whole pen pal by mistake thing say the code word. (Which is Pirate Black in case you forgot. You can figure out a way to use Pirate Black in a sentence. I have faith in you.)

And now I’m signing off before I confess more secrets to you. No one is getting the truth out of me about that fire. No one!

Be safe soldier boy,

Your Sadie

14

Sandbox

March 15 th

Dear Sadie,

Sorry I haven’t had time to write. Things have been busy. I can’t tell you why or how or what. That’s how things work in the military. I hope you can understand. I’ll write more when I can.