hunnyfresh - Letters from War

Thanks again, Regina. And have a safe holidays.

Emma

January 19 2003

Emma,

I've discovered why Henry was feeling ill. We've caught the chicken pox, and yes, I mean we. I never had it as a child; my mother was strict and preferred me in her care rather than daycare, and now I see why. The doctors assure me it is not shingles, and judging from my Internet search of those symptoms I'm praying to god that it's not. Even now I'm writing with my gloves on because if Henry isn't allowed to scratch then neither am I. He caught me one day. If you haven't been scolded by a 21-month old then I advise you to keep it that way.

How are you, Emma? You sounded despondent in your last letter. I know you'll be deployed soon, but you are a very good soldier. Remember your shooting scores ranked the highest, and you've been training during your downtime. You are ready for this. And you will come home. I know you will.

I'm proud of you, Emma. Only a handful of people are doing what you do, and though it can be terrifying, what you do matters.

Promise me you'll be safe, though. Perhaps I will reveal my secret turnover recipe at your homecoming.

Take care,

Regina

January 28 2003

Hi,

Thank you. For that pep talk there. I really needed that. The reality of the situation is just kind of catching up on me. I can't really say much about my deployment. There's been more and more talk about it, but you know how people can get.

And I will. I'll be safe.

I am good, though. It helps coming back to camp and finding your letter sitting on my bed. This may be one of my last ones before I ship out. I don't know what it's going to be like in Iraq or how frequently I'll get your letter or how often I can send one out. I'll try though. I promise.

I laughed out loud reading the first bit of your letter. Be careful or Henry might ground you. Is there a little mayor in his future? That totally brightened up my day. If Henry is anything like you, and by anything I mean hard-assed mayor (in the best way) I can picture the kid with sock puppets on his hands with his hands on his hips, and little lotion dots over his spots, and a tiny little glare on his face. That kid is adorable. Imagine if you start dating, the interrogation he's gonna give your significant other is gonna be the best thing ever. Film that for me.

I know you said it wasn't shingles, but just follow up with the doctor every now and then. I heard adult chicken pox is really bad, and I wouldn't want anything to happen to you. Who else would give me the secret apple turnover recipe then? I'm kidding. Seriously, just make sure you and Henry are okay. Have you tried sock puppet gloves? The TV says they work so it must be a good idea.

Oh! Happy birthday! I think I'll make it in time this year so that this letter will get there in time. Can I just say that my mind was blown to find out we're only nine years apart? You're a mayor, and a mom, and you're really awesome, you know that? See. I've used that word to describe you multiple times so it must be true. I hope you have a good birthday, Regina. High five the kid for me.

Emma

P.S. Thank you for everything, Regina. If I don't get back to you, I just want you to know that I really appreciate this year you've spent including me in your life. There's no way I could ever repay you for that. Your letters, your gifts, Henry's drawings, they mean so much to me, and they always helped to get me through the day.

February 5 2003

You're acting as if you're not going to return. Don't talk like that, Emma. You'll be home soon. I know, I can't promise that, but you will be. This time next year you and August will be home visiting his friends.

Thank you very much for the birthday greeting. I'm pleasantly surprised you remembered. That was very thoughtful, and I truly appreciate it. I did manage to receive your letter the day after, so you made it on time.

Our spots are clearing up, so it's safe to assume it wasn't anything worse than chicken pox. You weren't too far off from your vision of him though minus the sock puppets. I gave those a try after reading your letter, and now I'm finding it difficult to remove them from him. He now has a whole collection and insists on sleeping with them. I highly doubt I will ever get back into dating. Henry is the only man I need in my life, thank you very much. He should be wary when he begins dating and be aware of all the hours of footage I have of him refusing to wear a diaper and running amuck. Now you've gone and had me wondering what his teenage years will consist of. Not appreciated, Ms. Swan.

Well, if you deem me awesome then it must be true. I have the Certified Emma Swan Stamp of Awesome Approval. Did I get that right? Henry has sufficiently been high fived. He sends his hugs - "Hug Emma, Mommy?"

Take care, Emma.

Regina

April 1 2003

Hi,

I'm here. I'm not injured. Well, I got some scrapes here and there, but I'm okay. I wanted to send you a letter before we left, but it sprung up on us. We sort of just woke up one day and they told us to pack, so here we are. I'm sorry I worried you, but I'm okay. It's pretty ridiculously hot here, so if I don't sweat out my body weight I'll be good.

How are you and the little man? Is he using the big boy potty yet? Tell him Emma says happy birthday.

I'll be safe. I promise.

Emma

April 22 2003

Emma,

You have no idea how relieving it was to see your letter in my mailbox. My apologies for the second letter. I was just worried when it had been a while since I heard from you, and I saw on the news of the invasion, and my mind went rampant. I realize our communication won't be as frequent as we're used to, but I'm so glad you've landed safely and that you're okay. Please have your scrapes looked at. You may think it nothing, but you don't know what type of infection or bacteria you could pick up from an unclean wound. It's better to be safe than sorry.

I don't think Henry will be using the toilet anytime soon. His favourite word right now is "no." All the books I've read say that every child is different and they will learn at their own pace. They advise not to push your child into something they're not ready for. However, I don't think they were prepared for a child like Henry who prefers to wear his big boy briefs and consistently wets the bed. The books also say it's helpful if your child watches the parent of the same sex go to the washroom, but you understand my predicament on that one. I hope I'm not hindering his growth or development because he doesn't have a father.

I'm doing better now. I'm looking forward to when it isn't constantly raining so that I can go outside and get some gardening done. You should see how beautiful my flowers are when they're in bloom. When I was a child, my father and I used to picnic under my Honey Crisp tree the first day it was dry and bright enough. Those are the apples I use for my turnovers, so guard that secret with your life.

Henry sends his love and his thanks.

Stay safe, Emma.

Regina

May 31 2003

Hi Regina,

I got looked at. No infections or diseases or bacteria. Don't worry. It's gonna take a lot more than some burns and bruises to take me down.

Ah, he's hit the terrible twos, has he? I don't envy you for that. You're not hindering his growth. I knew a couple of single moms growing up who had little boys who turned out amazing. Except the one that grew up to be an axe murderer... I'm kidding! Seriously though, when Henry's ready, he'll let you know, and you're not gonna learn that from a book or an Internet search.