I wish you could be here for the pumpkin party.
Too much. I delete it. It’s a challenge being chill. I use Fitz to say all the things I don’t dare.
What do you do for fun in Ames? Fitz would like to visit. Are there squirrels to chase?
Yours with dreams of cornfields,
Liam and Fitz
We sometimes go a day or two between emails, but I definitely have my email alerts turned on.
From: [email protected]
Subject: Give my love to Fitz
Liam,
Going to England for Christmas sounds so very posh. All your efforts to convince me you are a normal guy were decimated with that one confession. Who am I kidding? After giving me your embroidered handkerchief, you can never convince me that you are one of us.
Still, Christmas in England sounds almost as fun as the Benson Family Christmas, which is basically a pajama party from Christmas Eve to the morning after Boxing Day. In the days leading up to Christmas, we bake and cook to have piles of food to sustain us. And then, for three days, we hole up in our house and don’t go anywhere. We play games and watch movies. It’s the absolute best!
You asked what we do for fun here? Yesterday, we drove out of the city to watch a thunderstorm. And when I say drive out of town, I mean just a few miles. Whenever we see a big storm coming in, we drive to a nearby cornfield—there are plenty of them around. We watch the clouds darken. I love a good thunderstorm. There’s this feeling of anticipation. The air feels electric, the stalks of corn sway in the wind, while the storm whips the golden corn tassels. The first crack of lightning splits the sky, followed by the low growl of thunder. We sit on the hood of the car and enjoy nature’s show. We count the seconds between the lightning and the thunder to measure our distance from the storm until the thunder draws too close. The rain usually starts as we drive home. There’s nothing like a good thunderstorm to make one grateful to be alive.
What do you do for fun in Sacramento?
Yours with rain-drenched hair,
Lettie
P.S. Tell Fitz he’s a good boy, and I’m sorry, it will be a few months before I can see him again.
I read the letter more than once and the subject line and postscript repeatedly. Is Lettie using Fitz in these emails the same way I am? Does she say to Fitz what she doesn’t say to me? Or is she just sending love to my dog? No matter, I live for her emails. People are noticing my improved mood.
From: [email protected]
Subject: Fun is not my middle name
Lettie,
After considering your question for several days, I came to a terrible conclusion. One I’m loathe to share with you because I really want to earn your good opinion. But the sad truth is:
Prepare yourself for the worst!
Drum roll!
I am not a fun person. To show you just how unfun I am, I’ve made a list of the top ten things I do for fun, complete with asterisks for footnotes. (Footnotes are definitely fun, right?)
Things I do for fun:
Walk with Fitz
