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6th Letter
Macie Girl,
McCall said you start student teaching next semester. I’m so proud of you. You always talked about being a teacher. And you did it. You’re almost done with school and on to living the life we always talked about. You were going to teach, and I was going to coach, and we were going to be so damn happy.
I hope you are, happy I mean. Life here in the desert isn’t ideal, but I’m not unhappy, I suppose. I have fun with my friends. We work hard and play hard. Mostly poker and dominos. Living through Texas summers prepared me better than the other guys in my platoon.
A friend of mine was killed last week. It wasn’t the first casualty I’ve experienced. But it was the first brother I’ve lost. It hurts. The guilt, the what ifs. It’s consuming. I miss him. I figure I always will.
My life, it’s dangerous. But I made a promise to you, even if you don’t know it. I’m coming home to you, baby, no matter what. You’re my everything, always.
All my love,
Booker
Macie + Booker
Macie:I’m sorry you lost someone.
Booker:After that letter, I lost even more.
Macie:I’m sorry you had to go through so much. It’s crazy to think there’s so much of your life I don’t know about. So many years and experiences and people. Do you get to talk to your friends from the hospital?
Booker:A few of them, yeah. We don’t have unlimited access to the outside world. But they check in when they can.
Macie:Do you miss them?
Booker:Yeah. We’ve been through a lot together. It’s a bond that can’t be broken. But enough about me, tell me about teaching.
Macie:No memories today?
Booker:Physical therapy kicked my butt. Distract me. Tell me about your now.
Macie:Toward the end of college, when it was time to student teach, I got sent to a kindergarten class. I was a little cranky about it to be honest. I wanted to teach elementary school, but five-year-olds? Not really what I had in mind. But I ended up loving every second of it.
Booker:You were always good with kids. You nannied my uncle’s three little ones every summer four years straight. They adored you.
Macie:Not to steal a page out of your book or anything, but do you remember that one weekend when you came to help me? When your aunt and uncle took the oldest to that baseball tournament and we had the babies.
Booker:How could I forget a slumber party with a three-year-old and a one-year-old? I felt so out of my element. But you? You were a natural. You had one on your hip and one by the hand. I couldn’t help but think of our future. I wanted that for myself, for us.
Macie:I think I ended up choosing kindergarten because a small part of me felt like I was missing out. I always wanted kids. But after you left, I didn’t know what my future would look like anymore.
Booker:I’ve never pictured mine without you.
Macie:I didn’t have that luxury, Booker. I was lost and alone, and so damn confused. Still am.
Booker:Tell me more about your life now. What do your days look like?
Macie:You want to hear about my days?
Booker:I do.
Macie:Okay. Well. I get up and make my coffee. Take my dog for a walk. Teach. Go to the gym, go home, make dinner, and go to bed. Then I do it all over again.
Booker:You have a dog?
Macie:Yeah. He sort of came with the little house I’m renting off Market Street. The day after I moved in I found him sniffing around the backyard. He was pretty young, maybe four or five months old. Full of fleas and so skinny I could count his ribs. I scooped him up and took him to the vet, and he’s been mine ever since.
