Everything I've Never Had (39 page)

I miss you. I love you. I can’t fathom how hard these next few months will be, so I take it one day at a time. I focus on the mundane, like trying to get the sand out of my weapons and scamming to get some ranch dressing for my MREs when we go to camp for a few days. I finally did get that one package with all the ranch, by the way. I was in heaven.

Other than that, things pretty much suck ass. It’s like I told you on the porch that night but worse. Do you remember? I don’t want you to obsess over that. I just want you to know.

Tell the boys I love their drawings. Tell Archer his music looks perfect with the exception of the bridge. If he uses his metronome, he won’t lose his beat. His song kicks ass. Has he played it for you yet? Does Paris realize that every picture he sends me of Skip looks the same? Turtles are not photogenic. Don’t tell him I said that, though! Tell him I love them. Ah yes, and my man, Finn—tell him I put the picture of him in his flight suit in my helmet. I love it! Is he really making you call him Maverick?

Love you, babe,

Your husband

Husband,

The boys and I had MREs for lunch yesterday as an experiment. Did you know you could buy them on base? I bought them when we went to pick up Archer’s & Paris’s gear. Archer decided on jungle camouflage BDUs, and Paris picked up desert cammies. Finn’s not coming off the flight suit. I have to wash and dry it while he sleeps. Anyway, I totally get your obsession with ranch now. MREs are disgusting. I don’t know how you do it other than you’d have no other choice but to starve. The boys and I each got down about half before we gave up. If I were stationed in Iraq, I would be skinny!

Paris has earned another belt. But he told me he’s over it and wants to focus on piano and pick up bass. I’m good with that. Archer has perfected his song that he has lovingly entitled “My Left Foot” because it describes the discordant sounds he plays up in his music. I didn’t have the heart to tell him there’s a movie called that. I’m sure he’ll be thirty by the time he discovers it. Finn is not great right now. He’s a little upset as I write this and is writing his own letter to you. I’ve tried to explain things to him, but you’ll probably put it in “guy-speak” and make it all better.

I miss my blues,

Your loving wife

Captain,

This jerk at school told me that you are gonna be mincemeat when he overheard me telling Cooper that you’re Force Recon and stationed in Iraq. I didn’t know what mincemeat was but he said it in a real jerk way. Know what I mean? So we were gonna meet out back after school. Only thing is, Archer found out and told me I can’t fight at school. I know what mincemeat is now. Is it really THAT dangerous there?

Love,

Finn aka Mav

Mav,

Force Recon is not easy work, but it’s very important work. It’s a lot like what Maverick and his buddies do. We go and make sure the area is safe and secure before the combat unit moves in. We are incredibly safe and have tons of protective gear. My protective gear weighs about 80 pounds. To put that in perspective—you weigh about 60. It’s like a chubby Finn-sized protective shield. Not too shabby, huh?

The deal with the jerk is this—he probably heard someone else, like his parent, say some crap (Don’t tell your mom I said crap!) like that. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Remember—I’m smart, I’m fast, and I’m motivated. Can’t wait to be home with you guys.

I love you,

Captain Adrian Hebert, USMC aka Papa

I love you,

Finn

Happy birthday Archer!

I hope you’re enjoying being a teenager. We have a lot to talk about when I get home. I wish I could have been there, of course, but we’re going to make up for lost time. Did your mom give you the gift I sent for you? (Well, asked her to buy for me.) Do you like it? Your mom said you’ve been taking your music real serious. That was very cool that you posted some online for me to see. Me and the guys crowded around one tiny laptop last time we were at camp. They said you were real good. Told you I wasn’t the only one who thought so. Your cover of “Dream On” rocked, but when are you going to record “My Left Foot” for me? I’m dying here, dude.

Love,

Papa

Papa,

My song’s not ready yet. I’m still messing with the bridge. A friend of mine, Taylor, has been coming over and jammin’ with me. He’s good. He plays electric, though, so after a while, Mom started making us play in the basement. She said she couldn’t focus. She’s been working a lot more now.

Everyone is jealous of my guitar strap too. No one else has a studded one with their name on it. It’s very cool. Thank you.

Did you get your birthday package? We put extra ranch and beef jerky in it.

Love,

Archer

Boys,

My birthday package was awesome! Ranch, beef jerky, gum, wet wipes, Skin-So-Soft! You shouldn’t have. Kidding! It was perfect and practical and everything I needed. Favorite part—those stellar report cards and awards. Honor roll all the way around, a few students of the month, some perfect attendance. Why didn’t you have perfect attendance, Finn?

Love you all so much,

Papa

I was throwing my guts up. Mom made me stay home. It was three days before the end of the term too!