embarrassed to.)
4. Take a dinner
cruise at sunset.
5. Drink beer at
Epcot.
6. Lie outside in our
yard and star gaze.
7. Build the biggest
and best sand castle on Siesta Key Beach, ever.
8. Learn to sail
(without James).
9. Go to Halloween
Horror Nights and ride the roller coasters at night, drunk (again,
without James).
10. Have a huge party
with the platoon and celebrate our
freedom.
11. Live each and
every day like it’s your last.
12. I want my wife to
always be loved, to always be happy and to always be treated the
way she deserves.
I miss you and I love you,
always and forever.
P.S. Kiss our son and tell
him, each and every day, how much I love him. I’ll be home soon.
Max.
We both sniffle and I wipe the tears away.
“What do you think?”
“ About the
letter?”
“ Do you want to go to Disney
World tomorrow and watch the fireworks?”
“ I’m on vacation. I’ll do
whatever you want to do.”
“ Disney World it is. James
will be excited.”
I open a few more letters
and read them before I come across one for James. I hold it up for
Brooke to see. “It’s for James. It says on the back to open on his
18 th birthday. This sounds like Max knew he wasn’t going to make it
out of there alive.”
“ I know that Max said he was
bored over there, but the stories the guys told when they returned
tell what Max left out. Brice said they had long periods of down
time with intervals of chaos.”
“ I’m sure they did. Max
would never want me to worry. The letter with the list of things he
wants to do in Florida . I think it’s his bucket
list.”
“ You know, if Max didn’t go
into that building alone, none of our troops would have come home
alive. Max really is a hero. Brice still has nightmares about being
over there. He wanted so many times to talk to you, to call you,
but he has so much guilt. He doesn’t know what to
say.”
I watch her through blurred vision from my
tears. She sniffles and I know she is crying, too.
“ Is that why no one has
stayed in touch with me?” My nose tingles and tears continue to
stream down my face, and I can’t stop them. I grab a few tissues
for me and hand the box over to Brooke.
“ I can’t speak for them, but
I know they all suffer from survivors’ guilt. Brice wishes he would
or could have done something to save Max. He would do anything to
change the events of that dreadful day.”
“ Brooke, it not his fault,
or anyone’s fault, that Max lost his life , except the person who set the booby
trap.” I close the box and stack it back in the corner of the room.
“It’s sad, and no one can change that. James and I are moving on
and everyone else needs to as well. Max would want that. Do you
still keep in touch with everyone?”
“ Brice does, for sure.
Why?”
“ Just asking, it looks like
I need to get everyone together and throw a
party.”
“ Let me know when; we can
plan a party like no other. Oh, you should do it on July
4 th . No
better time to celebrate our freedom than on Independence
Day.”
“ Brooke? That is a great
idea. It would be easier if you lived closer.” We both laugh at the
ridiculousness of her living right beside me again. “Hey, if we go
to Disney World tomorrow, we’ll need some Mickey Mouse
shirts.”
“ All I need is a Mickey
Mouse bikini,” Brooks says, laughing.
“ You are not getting a
Mickey Mouse bikini.”
“ If I want Mickey’s ears to
cover my boobs, I can. I’m on vacation and I can do whatever I
want. I’ll look like a tourist.”
“ Come on, vacation girl.
Let’s get James from school and go shopping for some Mickey Mouse
gear. And tourists do not dress like that!”
Brooke
“ James, guess what I found
today?” Emma asks, excitedly.
“ My rock? Did you find my
lost rock?”
“ I did. I found it in my
purse. I also found something else.”
“ My car?”
“ No, but, I
4. Take a dinner
cruise at sunset.
5. Drink beer at
Epcot.
6. Lie outside in our
yard and star gaze.
7. Build the biggest
and best sand castle on Siesta Key Beach, ever.
8. Learn to sail
(without James).
9. Go to Halloween
Horror Nights and ride the roller coasters at night, drunk (again,
without James).
10. Have a huge party
with the platoon and celebrate our
freedom.
11. Live each and
every day like it’s your last.
12. I want my wife to
always be loved, to always be happy and to always be treated the
way she deserves.
I miss you and I love you,
always and forever.
P.S. Kiss our son and tell
him, each and every day, how much I love him. I’ll be home soon.
Max.
We both sniffle and I wipe the tears away.
“What do you think?”
“ About the
letter?”
“ Do you want to go to Disney
World tomorrow and watch the fireworks?”
“ I’m on vacation. I’ll do
whatever you want to do.”
“ Disney World it is. James
will be excited.”
I open a few more letters
and read them before I come across one for James. I hold it up for
Brooke to see. “It’s for James. It says on the back to open on his
18 th birthday. This sounds like Max knew he wasn’t going to make it
out of there alive.”
“ I know that Max said he was
bored over there, but the stories the guys told when they returned
tell what Max left out. Brice said they had long periods of down
time with intervals of chaos.”
“ I’m sure they did. Max
would never want me to worry. The letter with the list of things he
wants to do in Florida . I think it’s his bucket
list.”
“ You know, if Max didn’t go
into that building alone, none of our troops would have come home
alive. Max really is a hero. Brice still has nightmares about being
over there. He wanted so many times to talk to you, to call you,
but he has so much guilt. He doesn’t know what to
say.”
I watch her through blurred vision from my
tears. She sniffles and I know she is crying, too.
“ Is that why no one has
stayed in touch with me?” My nose tingles and tears continue to
stream down my face, and I can’t stop them. I grab a few tissues
for me and hand the box over to Brooke.
“ I can’t speak for them, but
I know they all suffer from survivors’ guilt. Brice wishes he would
or could have done something to save Max. He would do anything to
change the events of that dreadful day.”
“ Brooke, it not his fault,
or anyone’s fault, that Max lost his life , except the person who set the booby
trap.” I close the box and stack it back in the corner of the room.
“It’s sad, and no one can change that. James and I are moving on
and everyone else needs to as well. Max would want that. Do you
still keep in touch with everyone?”
“ Brice does, for sure.
Why?”
“ Just asking, it looks like
I need to get everyone together and throw a
party.”
“ Let me know when; we can
plan a party like no other. Oh, you should do it on July
4 th . No
better time to celebrate our freedom than on Independence
Day.”
“ Brooke? That is a great
idea. It would be easier if you lived closer.” We both laugh at the
ridiculousness of her living right beside me again. “Hey, if we go
to Disney World tomorrow, we’ll need some Mickey Mouse
shirts.”
“ All I need is a Mickey
Mouse bikini,” Brooks says, laughing.
“ You are not getting a
Mickey Mouse bikini.”
“ If I want Mickey’s ears to
cover my boobs, I can. I’m on vacation and I can do whatever I
want. I’ll look like a tourist.”
“ Come on, vacation girl.
Let’s get James from school and go shopping for some Mickey Mouse
gear. And tourists do not dress like that!”
Brooke
“ James, guess what I found
today?” Emma asks, excitedly.
“ My rock? Did you find my
lost rock?”
“ I did. I found it in my
purse. I also found something else.”
“ My car?”
“ No, but, I
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