Page 91 of Stone

I hope you’re okay. I’m aware it’s difficult for you to get any privacy, but please write to me soon. I love you so much.

Yours always,

Elise

XOXO

Chapter Twenty-Four

Elise

Duchess,

Send up a prayer and praise the Lord because the heat here is finally starting to cool. I walk around in a perpetual state of sweat, and I fucking hate it! It’s beginning to wane a little, but it’s still so damned humid.

Me and Spence call this place the Devil’s Armpit, ‘cause that’s what it damned well smells like, constantly, though we’re all in the same boat.

So, I know I’m whining, but actually, I’m in good spirits. I got your care package. Thank you, baby. It was amazing. The coffee and cookies went down a storm, and finally, using decent toothpaste, soap, and a deodorant stick is heaven. It’s crazy how the simple things we take for granted can give us so much pleasure when they’re in short supply. I’ll tell you what I miss in life...

Beer, decent burgers, and clean clothes that smell fresh just out of the dryer. Sneakers and jeans, cologne, rain, snow, and my bike.

But most of all, I miss you, my sweet, beautiful Duchess, the girl of—and in—my dreams.

I’ll tell you a secret, when I’m ass down in the sand and the sun’s beating down on my head, I remember San Diego.Thinking about you on the beach in your red bikini keeps me sane, Leesy. Your letters give me life, and your love and care give me the strength to carry on in this God-forsaken place because keeping you and our families safe is my priority. I can live with a lot of shit, Duchess, heat, humidity, terrible food, and brown water, but the thought of any of this spilling into your life makes me wanna punch a wall. I can be here, and I can put up with anything as long as you’re safe and happy.

Despite living in the Devil’s Armpit, we have a lot of laughs. Things are so bad they border on hilarious. Every time something goes wrong (which is often), we just look at each other and laugh. Next thing you know, the entire damned room is on its knees, roaring with laughter. The good thing is, not much goes wrong workwise, which is the important thing, I guess. I’d rather shit go FUBAR in our downtime than out in the field.

Work is good. Spence and I have been doing okay. We’re getting a lot done, and our missions run like clockwork. My lieutenant and sergeant are probably the two most knowledgeable and talented Marines who I trust with my life as well as my brethren.

What I’m trying to say is that I’m not in a safe place, but still, we all look out for each other. Missions are well thought out, and we get all the support possible. I’m getting used to things here, Leesy. I hate it, I do, but mainly because I’m so far away from you. Every mile between us slices like a blade at my soul.

Now, to the good stuff.

I dream of you. I dream of the day I put a diamond on your finger and then, later, a wedding ring. I dream of holding you, touching you, and staring into your eyes while I move inside you. I dream of your smile, yourlaugh, and the way you toss your hair before your eyes soften when you look at me over your shoulder.

I dream of holding your hand and kissing that ticklish spot below your ear and making you giggle.

I reckon it’s all those little things added together that equal something perfect, at least perfect for me.

I could go on all day, but we’re out on patrol tonight, so I’ve got to jet.

Write soon, baby. Your letters keep me from going crazy.

Love you.

Your John.

The weeks had crawled by without John.

Summer turned into fall, and I had no choice but to settle into a new routine. My time was spent at college and at work, and I was usually glued to the news on TV, searching for anyone with John’s gait.

The stories that began to come out of Kuwait were scary, like Westerners being used as hostages and human shields at arms facilities as a deterrent for Kuwait to blow them up. I heard rumors of torture and even the cold-blooded murders of women and children.

It was hard to determine whether the reports were propaganda or truth. The Iraqi government issued statements saying the stories were lies, used by the Kuwaiti government to stir up sympathy and gather allies, but the pictures spoke for themselves.

What was sad was that even though John was on deployment and basically living in hell, life in small-town America went on.Stevie went down on one knee and popped the question to Kelly, who, of course, screamed yes! The Barrington wedding went off without a hitch, and I actually had a good time.

I danced with my dad, Mayor Henderson, and even Robert, who took me for a dance around the floor. He was nice to me and told me he was there if I needed anything while John was deployed. They made up and were friends again. Robert even told me he’d written to John a couple of times. Admittedly, it put me at ease, along with the fact the Robert I saw down the creek that day seemed to be long gone, and with John away, I needed all the friends I could get.

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