Woman with a letter-Chapter 2

I spent most of the day trying to keep both my hands and mind busy, cooking, playing with my daughters, cleaning every inch of my small home, doing the laundry, the dishes and many other distracting tasks, that kept me engaged all day, until my childrens’ bedtime. Once they were both tucked in and asleep I was left with nothing to do, my mind wandering dangerously into thoughts that were now strictly forbidden. I plopped down onto the worn couch, falling apart slowly, the weight of today’s events finally hitting me. I was a widow, left to fend for my family alone, like so many other women, alone. The room was silent except for the ticking of the clock and the sound of my choked sobs.

              This was silly, I thought after a few minutes. I had to get up and stop this foolish behavior. I walked over to my bedroom, crouching before a loose floorboard, which I lifted silently. I would hide anything that reminded me of Henry here, everything except the engagement ring which Henry had given to me, a few years back. Once I had lowered all of his possessions and pictures into the hole, I lingered a moment over the stack of letters he had sent me in the past year, one each day, 365 letters. After a while, I gave in, sat in a more comfortable position on the parquet floor and pulled the bottom letter form the pile, which I had tied up with a piece of string. Rereading all of these letters knowing that Henry was dead, gave them a bitter sweet edge, realizing that I would never live anything like it again but seeing that I had something to look back on, a time of pure bliss. I reached the last letter, today’s letter and pulled it out of the envelope.

             

My dear Rachel,

I cannot express the pleasure I felt when receiving your pack of letters this morning. I read them all and can only say one thing to answer: I love you, forever.

I am well and can only hope that you and our daughters are too. We haven’t had much to do for a while so I find myself with a lot of free time. Time I spend thinking of you, my love wondering how you are doing and how long it shall take us to be reunited once more. The yearning for you that I have felt for the past year has never been so strong and your letters help me overcome it, making me hope once more that this beastly war is nearly at its end.

Please write and remember that I will love you forever. In moments of doubts and fear think of me and be strong Rachel, be strong for Hazel and Dawn, be strong for me.

As ever your devoted and loving husband

Henry

 

That last letter destroyed me, and all the hope I had. The tears that had been welling in my eyes now rolled down my cheeks, leaving small stains on the floor. My weeps continued and ceased only when I drifted into unconsciousness. 

Author's Note

Is it a bit too soppy?