Story by the Letterbox

This is a fictional story I wrote for a writing prompt to write a letter from a soldier to their love waiting for them at home, as a series of letters between them.

I have included the text of each letter below for easy reading.

To all those in the world, past, present and future who have defended their country or lost someone to the cause, we see you. ❤️

Letter 1 -

To my Darling Betty,

It has only been one night but I miss you already. It was only last week we were newly married and spending every moment under the sunlight in our tiny secluded garden. Every night under the stars keeping each other warm. Waking each morning I could hardly believe my eyes, but there you were sleeping soundly in my arms entirely mine.

Now I am discovering after only one night without you, that my eyes may close from exhaustion but my heart is back with you, restless and pining.

I could tell you about my day, but this business of War and violence is not my thing, I am not a part of this. My heart and soul are with you, whilst my body is forced to toe the line here, defending our country the only way this world knows how. Tell me Darling about your day, write to me and tell me all about my life with you. For that is all that matters to me.

Love your Husband

By VJHD

Letter 2-

To my Jonathan,

I hope you are ok, it has been two days since you left and I have been wandering the halls of our tiny place unable to sleep much at all. I see your handiwork everywhere I go. Your handwriting on the panels you hadn’t finished painting. Your shoes by the door like you have just stepped inside. Your unopened mail by the door, your house keys on the hook that says ‘home sweet home’.

I know you are probably very busy every minute, preparing for being shipped off- I wonder if you have thought of me? Is there anything where you are that reminds you of us?

I thought about packing up your things, but it will be like you are gone, or you were never even here. Your presence in this house is not gone, it feels like you are still here. It’s all I seem to be able to focus on.

Love from your Betty.

By VJHD

Letter 3-

To my Darling Betty,

The mail here is slow, I still have not received a letter from you. I am sorry if my letters take their time getting to you.

It has been only 4 days since I have seen your face, but when I close my eyes you are all I see. When I look in the mirror I do not see myself anymore. I see a man that is tired and scared. I would rather close my eyes and see you.

Love your Husband.

By VJHD

Letter 4-

To my Jonathan,

I have been trying to keep busy, I got a puppy, the one you saw in the window. You told me he looked so sad and he needed someone to love him. I went down there and sat with him by the window and he just stared at me. I have named him Jonny and he is so happy to be home.

He chewed up your shoes by the door. Sorry about that. I’ll buy you some new ones. He doesn’t much like walking, he prefers to run, a lot like you I think.

We didn’t take our time at all, we ran headlong into love and were married within weeks. I’m still glad we did it, sometimes it is just meant to be. The timing of it all though, I would have liked more time to be together before we had to be apart.

Jonny seems to like the end of your bed, but I told him when you are home again he will have to sleep on the floor.

He spends a lot of time out in the garden tool shed, digging holes and rummaging about. He seems to like laying across my belly.

I had to get a job at the store, but don’t worry about me. The job keeps me busy and the payments on the house are taken care of. The neighbour said she would check in on Jonny for me whilst I am out.

I hope you are ok wherever you are. I am waiting by the letter box these days, the postman knows my name now.

Love your Betty

By VJHD

Letter 5-

To my Darling Betty.

I am so happy to have received your letter. I am sorry I am not there to carry you off to bed when you are tired. You always were the type to keep busy and not go to bed at night. I love that you brought home our little Jonny, someone to keep my place warm until I return.

Everywhere I look here is nothing of you and me. Nothing I see or hear makes me think of us. It has been what feels like an eternity away from you but nothing here is soft or kind, it isn’t sweet or gentle. There is no place for me that I fit into perfectly. So I close my eyes and I picture you.

All my moments here I think of you.

I am not counting down the days until I can return to you, for I don’t want to remember these days. I am just waiting in the wings.

Love your Husband.

By VJHD

Letter 6-

To my Jonathan,

I knew your letter was arriving today, I saw the smile on the Postmans face from across the street. He was walking so much faster like he had something to tell me. I got 3 of your letters at once. I have read them so many times I have lost count. Jonny laid on my belly as I read them to him. I am so broken to hear that you do not recognise yourself. I wish the world was a kinder place for you to exist in. Outside these walls of our home are dark and dangerous and I wish you didn’t have to be out there.

I have felt sick these days worrying if I would hear from you, the relief of your letters arriving brought on a new wave of sickness thinking about your struggles being at war.

Jonny has been a warm comfort here, brought the house to life a little. I can’t wait for you to meet him. The tiny ball of fur has grown twice his size since I got him! I spend a lot of time in our garden, our roses have bloomed spectacularly.

I am including some rose petals for you in this letter. It breaks my heart to have this garden so far from you each day.

Love and admiration, Your Betty

By VJHD

Letter 7-

To my Jonathan,

I have such wonderful news to share with you, it seems my feeling so sick was because I was growing a beautiful secret inside me. I think Jonny knew also because he always wanted to lay on my belly. That night we spent under the stars celebrating our love in our new home and wishing upon the moon that you didn’t have to leave me all alone, we made our love into a baby. I am carrying your child, my Darling.

I wish I could see your face when you read this letter, I know I’ll be waiting each day by the letterbox to get your reply.

It is too soon to find out what our baby will be, but I have a strong sense that I am growing your son inside of me. My little Jonathan Junior. Our love has grown into a family.

Be safe my Darling, be careful.

Love from your Betty.

By VJHD

Letter 8-

To my Darling Betty,

How I wish we were still just teenagers under the bleachers stealing kisses.

How I wish we never got out of bed that day and went into town to get the mail.

How I wish I never went to war, never came to live this life that lead to so much violence.

How I wish I could hold you right now, tell you it will all be ok and I’ll be home soon.

How I wish I could be there to see our child come into this world. To watch their first steps and catch their first stumble.

How I wish I could smell your cooking one last time and cherish all the charred corners of my food.

How I wish I could save you from the heartache of what’s to come, all the ways I would hold you and let you know I’m always here.

How I wish I could kiss the teardrops from your face as you hold yourself together.

Oh how I wish that I could change the way this all turned out, knowing you’re standing there by the letterbox waiting for my words.

How I wish I could come back down to earth and tell you not to answer the door, tell you to hide away and be with me forever.

How I wish I could write these words on earth, to wish you all my love one last time.

My Darling Betty, I am so very sorry for your loss. I’ll be watching over you forever.

I’ll be your angel all the days of your life.

Forever yours, My heart and soul.

By VJHD

Letter 9-

To my Darling son, Jonathan

Today is the day you were born, I am so blessed to know and hold you.

I have waited 9 long months to meet you and you are exactly as I imagined you to be. You have your fathers eyes and I can see his wisdom in you already.

I met your father in school and we gravitated towards each other until we were inseparable. We had a whirlwind wedding and moved into our home all in the same week. We were meant to exist and meant to fit together. Like a lock and key, we made sense in a world we didn’t understand.

As fate would have it, he was destined to go to war and protect others, I waited by the letterbox each day for his letters and he would tell me that all he thought of was me. It was by that letter box that two soldiers came to tell me he had given his life to save others. That he was a hero. I also learned that he had my letter in his pocket, crumpled with tears as he learned of his becoming a father. I never received another letter. I know he would have been overjoyed. His dream was to have a family and work in the garden. A simple dream for a simple man.

This world is cruel and harsh and will not let us breathe. Your birth was destined, despite all odds, we made a family. Perhaps you were meant to be born so you can help change the road this world is on.

Our family may be small, you and me and Jonny, but with your father watching over us, we are gonna make our own safe place from our own little garden.

Love always, Your Mother

By VJHD

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THANKYou for reading 🕊️