“I miss you too. I wish we could talk longer. I’ll send an email and call again as soon as I can.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
“Love you.” His face fades from the screen before I can say it back.
two
Home
December 2004
Iclose my laptop, lie back on my bed and wrap my comforter around me, imagining Jacob wrapping his arms around me. Re-reading the emails between us has made him feel closer, but further away.
I miss him so much.
I’ve only heard his voice twice since he left—at Brad’s trial and then the day when he called to find out the verdict. Email has been sporadic as he’s moved around Iraq. I never know how long it will be before the next time I hear from him.
I sigh and watch the rain sliding down the window. It’s good to be home. The spicy smell of Christmas permeates everything. I helped Mom with the Christmas baking earlier today. We wrapped the cookies up in little boxes and Mom is delivering them to the neighbors. I’mhome alone. Dad is still at work, and Tyler is snowboarding with his friends.
Christmas is in five days. I’m looking forward to eight days of blissful laziness before I have to get back to my job in Pullman. No homework until I go back to school. The only thing that would make this better would be if Jacob were here.
I wonder if he got my package yet and if he’ll get to call on Christmas. I’m dying to hear his voice, to ask him something and not have to wait days for him to answer back.
I’m trying to decide whether it’s worth the effort to go all the way downstairs to get one of the leftover cookies when the front door opens.
“Hey, is anyone home?”
At the sound of his voice, I jump off the bed and run down the stairs. “Matt!” I almost knock my brother over when I fling my arms around him.
“Hi Jess,” he untangles himself from my arms. “It’s good to see you too.”
I stand back and catch my breath. “You weren’t supposed to be here until Christmas Eve.”
“We caught an earlier flight into McChord.” Matt sets his bag down.
“We?” I look beyond Matthew and notice another soldier standing just behind him.
He walks forward and smiles. “If I had known Matthew was going to get that kind of greeting from you, I would have come in first.”
“Jess, I’d like you to meet my friend from Fort Bliss,” Matthew starts.
I’m not listening. His friend looks familiar. “We’ve already met.”
“You have?” Matthew says.
“Yeah.” I look into his bright green eyes. “Michael, isn’t it?”
He smiles. “I didn’t think you’d remember.”
“It’s your eyes.” I can’t seem to break his gaze. “How could I forget those eyes?”
three
The Guest
Matthew looks from me to Michael, like we spoiled his big surprise. “When did you guys meet?”
“Michael showed up at my spin class last year.” I forgot how unusual the color of his hair was, red, not bright red, but more of a dark copper brown, kind of like the inside of a cedar tree when it's wet from the rain.
