| abstract | - Jessica "Jess" Casta, Single Mother (Dorothy Cosentino), age 29 My Dearest Jess, Please forgive the long hiatus between correspondences, I have been very busy. Basic training was grueling, but I feel that I've become a better person for it. It is good to know that my cause is just. Each day that I wake up at the crack of morn, I remind myself of the righteousness of our cause, and I also think of you and our sweet little boy. How is he? Is he growing up strong? Do not let him forget me, please. It would break my heart to return only to be forgotten. Forever Yours, William --- My Dearest Wife, It does my heart good to hear that Tornin has said his first words. I would have liked to see the look on your sister's face! I am sure it was one for the ages. We have shipped out to our first destination, Dunsbeth. It seems that there has been some stirring of rebellion there. I wonder if it will come to anything. Everything seems so peaceful. You can hear the sea from everywhere, here. Every day, I think of you, whenever I see a shining stone. Tell Tornin that his father sends his love, and will return with gifts. I long for you, my darling, but I will return to you soon. And how are you? It would please me to hear stories of my home in this far off place. With Love, William --- My Dear Wife, It makes me glad to hear that you have struck up friendships in these dark times. Miandra is a wise woman, and I am sure that she will guide you rightly. Is she not only recently returned to town from the university? To be fair, I mostly know her family. In fact, me and her father used to work together! The world works in mysterious ways sometimes, my dear. There have been protests in town, on Second St. and the Main Court. I know now that something must come of it. There is too much tension in the air for it to dissipate safely. Hopefully it will be over soon, so I can return to you, my love. Tell me, has my dear son taken his first steps yet? If so, I will be sad to have missed them. I love him, and you, so dearly that my heart nearly bursts from my chest. Please tell him so, and do not let him forget his father. With Great Love and Affection, William --- My Darling, Yes, Smithe University, that is what I had thought. Please send my regards to Sly. If there is one thing I need now, it is friends. I am afraid to report that the fighting has begun, my love. It is difficult. The days are long, and they are filled with anger. I will never forget certain sights that these two eyes have seen over the past few days. Some days I wish I could leave my eyes behind, below my pillow or in my spare pair of boots. And of course, each day I think of you and our darling son. I am heartbroken and overjoyed to hear that he has taken his first steps. He has grown up strong, just like his father. Do not let him forget my name. Please, my dear, do not forget me in my long absence. Love, William --- Dearest Jess, I am glad to hear that you are well, and that Tornin is doing well. It warms my heart to hear of my beloved town, with all its' people in it. The fighting is over. There is no more fighting to be done, here. It was not hard. It has made men hard, though, my sergeant, Jonas. Each day he talks a little more. The doctors say that there is nothing wrong with him, but we know better. We all know better. Just to look at his dead eyes is enough to know that there is something wrong with him. We are being shipped out. They will not tell us where. I think they are afraid that we will write about it in letters. It doesn't matter, no one would believe us. After all, I think they read our mail. Love, William --- Dear Jess, The days are long, but there is not so much time in them here. I do not have long to write this letter. Each night I lie awake and think about this, our mission, our goal. To keep order, to depose dictators, even in foreign lands, lands as foreign as Hell. What was it for, Jess? I thought I knew, but it has been blown away like a mirage in the desert. Or better yet, like a song I once knew. I know the words, but I cannot remember the tune. War is hell. Do not forget me, Jess. I believe that my son has already. You do not have to tell me, I already know. -William --- Jess, Do you remember that day, when we walked to the river? I gave you a stone, it shone in the sunlight. You promised me that you would keep it forever. I was afraid, that day, to tell you I loved you. I love you, Jess, and always will with all of my heart. It was their eyes. They never stopped looking at me, even when I looked away. It was worse when I looked away. I thought they might be following me. I started solving my problem. Two by two, I solved my little problems, and gathered them up and kept them in a little bag on my belt. We each carried trophies, Jess. Do not look at me like that. Do you still love me, Jess? You didn't respond to my last letter. Or at least, I received no letter from you. I will be forgotten here, in this blasted place. I kept the little shiny stone. I keep it in a bag on my belt. Send Tornin my love. -Will
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