I’ll just sit down here and pout over my bill,” he teased.
“I’ve yet to see you pout about anything.” Tootsie ripped into her first letter. “But just so you don’t start, I’ll share my letters with you.”
Diana hurried up to her room and laid her mail on the bed. Then she ran her fingers over Rebecca’s name in the upper left-hand corner. As if it were a Christmas present, she tore into it, not caring if she ripped up the envelope. She removed the letter, unfolded it, and read through the one page ten times. Rebecca was fine. She’d learned to make a bed with no wrinkles and so tight that she could bounce a quarter on it. The food wasn’t what Mama made, but it was good. She’d lost five pounds and was the tallest girl in her group. She missed her mama and couldn’t wait until they could have a long conversation. Zoe was struggling a little bit, but don’t say anything to Joanie. She’d work it out. Mostly just homesickness. And please, please write letters to her so she wouldn’t be so lonely.
Carmen was trying to keep her sobs quiet, but Diana could hear them. She wondered if she should go over to her, but until she could get her own emotions under control, it would simply be a sobbing fest like they’d had that day in the van when the girls all left.
She picked up the second envelope and tore into it, also. Rebecca was glad that she’d gone on the trip with Tootsie. She’d been worried about her being alone, and she’d gotten four letters that day. One from each of the army wives, as she called them, and one from Tootsie. Diana would have to write and tell her that they had a new name now—the empty nesters. Rebecca would get a kick out of that. The second letter covered three pages, and she talked about Natalie and Zoe. Surprisingly, they were having a rougher time with homesickness than she was, but then they’d never been through a tough divorce. She guessed that was what made her tough enough to help them, but it didn’t mean that she wasn’t a big baby who wished that she could talk to her mama every single night.
Diana laid both letters to the side, blew her nose, and wiped her tears. Hopefully Rebecca was tough enough to accept what she had to tell her about Luke when the time came. In the beginning, after the divorce was final, Rebecca had been in denial. She had declared quite loudly that her father would get tired of his new wife and would come back home where he belonged. By the time a year passed, she’d done a complete turnaround. She didn’t want him to come back, but she wasn’t ready for her mother to go out with anyone else.
Joanie rapped on her door and then came in without being invited. “Zoe says that she misses us and to tell you and Carmen that she’ll answer your letters next time they’re given free time to write home. She also says that she got so homesick that she cried for two nights. Natalie and Rebecca sat with her on the bathroom floor until she got things under control.”
“Rebecca said the same things. I’m surprised that Zoe told you about the homesickness. She told Rebecca that she didn’t want to worry you,” Diana said.
“And so did Natalie.” Carmen joined them. “It’s good just to have words on paper that we can go back and read until the next ones arrive.”
“I’ve got to go back downstairs to put the corn bread in the oven. It’s good that I’m cookin’ today, or I’d spend hours trying to figure out if there are any hidden messages in Zoe’s letters.” Joanie tried to smile, but it wasn’t very convincing. “Honestly, do y’all think she’ll be able to finish basic? And after that she’s got AIT. I can’t help but worry. She’ll feel like such a failure if she gets sent home and Rebecca and Natalie get through it.”
“She’ll make it,” Carmen said. “She’s in the same boat I am. Unsure of her decisions and scared of the future, but she’s got two friends who’ll support her and hold her up, just like I’ve got. Now let’s quit worrying and go make corn bread. I’ll help you. If I stay up here, I’ll start trying to find messages in Natalie’s letters, too.”