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“You’d really leave and uproot your entire life like that? Won’t you need your parents for support? For college?” I’d always known Lettie belonged in Aveline. I’d just figured it wouldn’t be until after her fancy college education. I’d never dreamed she would leave before she graduated high school.
Lettie moved closer to me and the canoe rocked slightly. “I only need you, Tuck. Now and forever. Everything else will work out.”
“But—” I started to protest, but she placed her finger over my lips, hushing me.
“No buts.”
“You’ve thought about this?” I asked. “Like really thought about it?”
“I even made a list of pros and cons,” she said matter-of-factly.
Of course she had. “And what was on the con list?”
“Well, money of course,” she replied. “But money isn’t everything, and there are a lot of people who have to pay for their own college.”
“And the pro list?”
Lettie’s lips upturned into a smile and she licked her lips. “You, of course.” She scrunched her nose and continued, “And Darcy, the pet clinic, Lenora’s donuts, the swimming hole, Mr. Fitzgerald arguing at the town meetings—”
I laughed. “Okay, then, sounds like you have it all figured out.”
“I do,” she said, proud of herself. “When you’re out of the Army, you can come home to me.”
“I can’t think of anything better than to come home to you, Lettie.” I meant it.
“Meet me in Aveline, Tuck. I’ll be waiting.”
FORTY-EIGHT
SEPTEMBER 2005
TUCK
The summer was windingdown and coming to a close. Even though everyone in Aveline knew it wouldn’t get cooler until late September, that hadn’t stopped the shops from decorating and serving all things pumpkin. There were pumpkin-flavored coffees and donuts and even pumpkin Twinkies. The weirdest thing I had ever seen was pumpkin-flavored SPAM in the market, and I, for one, was never going to try that.
It was September seventh. Lettie and I had four days before we would be separated for the weeks of basic training. While there was a good possibility I would be deployed, Lettie had decided we were going to keep our minds closed to that prospect and open to the idea that we would be reunited right after basic. Until then, letters.
“I wish I could celebrate your birthday with you,” I said that evening.
Lettie’s eighteenth birthday would come after I had already left, and I was upset that I wouldn’t be around to shower her with love on her special day.
Lettie sighed. “You and me both. But trust me, this will be my best birthday yet considering I don’t have to spend it at a brunch at the country club where the only thing my parents will talk about is all the Ivy League schools that I will be applying to—or so they think—followed by a round of golf, of course, even though I despise the sport. But do they care that I think it’s the most boring sport on the planet? No…” She froze. “You don’t like golf do you? Because I guess if you really liked it then I could watch it, but only if you really love it.”
I laughed. “No, I don’t like golf. But football is another story. Teddy and Lenora’s Super Bowl party is hands-down the best party in Aveline.”
“Oh, really? Well maybe one day, they’ll throw me a party.”
“How about this, your first birthday after I get home, I will throw you an epic birthday party.”
Her face lit up. “Really? Will you bring a petting zoo?”
“Yep,” I said without hesitation.
“And a bouncy house?”
“Yep!”
“You promise?” she asked.
