Page 3 of Mariposa
“No,” I whisper, monotone. “He has a baby on the way…no.”
“He’s gone,” Booker relays as everyone rushes in to escort Kid to the medevac.
Fuck.
2
VIOLET
August 7, 1965
Dear Graham,
I hope this letter finds you soon. I know I told you not to expect a letter from me…but here I am, writing you one. I think about the day you came into the diner all the time. I thought you were the most handsome man I had ever seen in your uniform. My heart beat so hard as I took your order. I was so scared you would be able to hear it. I can’t believe you only came to the diner to order something for your aunt, and now look where we are. Since you left for deployment, every time the door swings open and the bell chimes, I hope to God it’s you. I know you don’t know when you’ll be back, and I know it’s only been a week since our last day together, but maybe when you do come back home, we can go to Wrightsville Beach like we promised.
Sincerely,
Grace
Myabuelitasmiles as I read her one of the letters she asked me to. I sit in a chair with her next to the hospital bed, holding a slightly crumpled paper that has aged and now carries a yellow tint with both of my hands. Her once-red hair, now almost entirely white, falls to the side of the pillow, and her freckles move downward as a frown replaces her once-blissful smile.
Today is a good day; she has some strength and was able to walk around the pond outside Greenville Hospital. She texted me this morning to come over and said she was cashing in on her one request for me. To read her these letters.
Ever since her cancer diagnosis, she’s wanted to spend more time with me. Since my grandmother means the world to me, I will do whatever she asks.
She’s always warned me to stay away from all military men since I was a little girl, and I never knew why. Maybe now I’ll get my answer. I always assumed it was because we live in a military town. She’s married to my non-military-affiliated grandfather—a retired mailman.
It’s not only the cancer that she’s been fighting. Her Alzheimer’s diagnosis was something so unexpected. Ever since that day, she had one request from me, but didn’t tell me what it was.
Until today.
After I graduated from Basic Training, I immediately attended Airborne School for three weeks. Jumping out of planes was exciting. I thought I would be scared when I did my first jump, but the adrenaline and excitement overpowered my fear and fueled my confidence. After getting my jump wings, Iwent to North Carolina—home of special operations. I survived Selection. I was the only female in my class, and I worked hard to succeed. My hard work has paid off because now I’m on leave, soaking up every moment with my grandparents before I head to the course.
“Abuelita…may I ask you something?” I fold the handwritten letter, placing it back into a small wooden box.
“Yes,mija?” she rasps as she shifts in the bed, snuggling with her blue teddy bear. She’s had that blue teddy bear since she was a teenager.
“Why these letters? Who is this man?”
My grandparents have been in love for more than half their lives, and she’s now revealing that she shared her heart with someone other than my grandpa?
The sun outside her window shines through, casting golden rays across her face.
“Mija.This is my one request.” She intertwines her hands on her lap. “I know you have a busy life with work, and I know you’re leaving again soon. Please read these letters to me whenever you’re home. I want to remember my first love before I can’t anymore. Don’t get me wrong, I love your grandfather. We have a beautiful life together, but I truly believe that in life you can love more than one person, even though I chose your grandpa. But my first love? He was Graham.”
My mouth opens.
“Abuelita!” I palm the box to my chest in disbelief. She had loved someone other than my grandpa? The last time I remembered, she had been with him since she was nineteen. He was her first and only boyfriend. “I don’t think Grandpa would like this,Abuelita. I don’t think he would want me to read these letters. Is Graham the reason why you’ve wanted me to stay away from dating a military man all these years?” I close the woodenbox and slide it onto the tile floor of the room, tucking it under her bed where it once was.
Of course, I know I can make my own decisions at twenty years old, but her words have been engraved into me since I was a child. It hadn’t stopped me from joining the Army, though—a decision I made to honor my late veteran father.
“Your grandpa knows all about him. This is between you and me, okay? This is my only request,por favor?” She pleads with me, her eyebrows raising.
I could never tell her no. I glance over my shoulder to ensure my grandfather stays out of the loop. Luckily, he’s nose deep into the local newspaper, his pen in hand, working on the crossword section.
“Well, why did you marry my grandpa over Graham?” Curiosity gnaws at me. Why did she end up with my Grandpa Ramon if she loved this Graham?
She smiles again, her light brown eyes glistening with pride.
