“Listen, I don’t need you to tell me how amazing my life is.What you need to know is that when I got that card, I took a trip down memory lane, probably more times than I should have.I hadn’t opened them in years.”
“Okay, so you say the letters you wrote were returned to you.Where are those letters?”
She looked at me, eyes full of tears and disbelief that I’d ask her that.Without a word, she turned around, opened the door of the cupboard behind her, and reached up, pulling down a black box.She turned back to me, placing the box down on the desk and wiping the lid, removing a thick layer of dust before lifting the lid to see an entire box full of those pink envelopes she used to send me.
“Here,” she said, “take it.”
I took a step forward as she made her way over toward the window and looked out over the park.I grabbed two of the letters from the box, both marked with a return to sender stamp.
“Mindi, I?—”
“Just take them Noah.They are yours, after all.Take them, read them, burn them, do whatever you want; I don’t care.Just take them and go.”She sniffled.
I stood there, afraid to make a move for fear she got angry or upset.They’d all been returned to her because I’d left the post I’d been stationed at right after Christmas that year.They moved me to an undisclosed location.I couldn’t tell anyone where I was going, so it wasn’t a wonder that those letters had been returned.
“Mindi, you need to know?—”
“I need to know nothing.Now I told you to take them.You got what you wanted.”
She spun around, picked up the box, and shoved it toward me.“Get out!”she screamed.
I backed up and out into the hall when she whipped the box in my direction and slammed her office door shut.She pulled the blinds down and left me standing in the hallway with the box of letters.
I stood there, shocked that she’d thrown me out, but yet I waited for a bit, to see if she’d open the door.After a while, I finally gave up and picked up the box on the floor, then left the community center and made my way home.
I pushed my empty plate off to the side and picked up the bottle of beer I’d been nursing during the hockey game.My team had just scored, and yet I didn’t feel even the slightest amount of happiness.The confrontation with Mindi this afternoon was weighing heavily on my mind, and then I glanced at the black box I’d brought home.I hadn’t had the courage to open it yet, but I’d looked over at it many times tonight.
Finally, I reached over and pulled the lid off the box, pulling out the letter that lay on top.I looked over the envelope.The postmark was almost exactly one year after I’d sent that Christmas card.The envelope was tattered, dirty, but unopened, and so I took a deep breath and opened the letter.There wasn’t much written, but what was written was direct and to the point.
Dear Noah,
It’s been a year since I last heard from you.While I’ve tried to get an updated address or location for you, the military is keeping tight-lipped.I’m guessing that perhaps something horrible has happened to you, and while I have tried to keep hope alive that one day you will return, I know I need to move on.I can’t keep living in this state of the unknown.So, as hard as it might be, especially at this time of the year, I have to say goodbye to you and the dream of us being together.My heart will forever be yours.Until we meet again, Mindi.
I stared at the words she’d written.She’d been telling me the truth.
I dug into the box and pulled another letter from the center of the box, seeing the same thing on the envelope.The postmark date and then returned.I reached in and pulled another one to see the same thing once again.Instead of just pulling a random letter, I grabbed the entire pile in the box, every one of them said the same thing.
I’d been an absolute fool.
I flipped the letters over and took the very first one she’d written, opened the envelope, and began reading.
Mindi
My head pounded as I left the community center.It had been a day from hell.The confrontation with Noah was just the icing on an already bad day.I glanced at my watch, noticing the time, and let out a sigh.I’d told Sarah I’d be home over two hours ago, but I had to stay and wait because I’d been so upset.I was just about to climb into the car when my cell phone rang.Grabbing it from my purse, I answered.
“Hello.”
“Mindi, are you okay??”I heard Sarah ask.
“Yeah, sweetheart, I’m fine.I got a little sidetracked, so I am going to stop at the Deep Dish and bring home a pizza for dinner.”
“Oh, yay!”
“You want your usual?”I questioned.
“Yes, please, maybe with extra pepperoni and cheese.”
“You got it.That sounds fantastic.Okay, I will be there shortly.Everything okay?”
