On a Wing and a Prayer

The Dance

Dear Hope,
        I hope this letter finds you well and that you have been keeping out of trouble. Hugh finally relented and gave me your address so I apologize for having not written sooner.
        I often think of the day that we first met. I have awoken many nights thinking of you and how I wish we could have spoken longer. Forty minutes by air does not seem far and yet you feel as though you are miles from me. I can see why you are named Hope, because since our meeting, and I truly hope there will be other meetings,  I feel as though I truly have something worth fighting for.  I fear that Johnny also feels the same, I believe your friend Ruth has truly stolen his heart, but rest assured he is a good man and his intentions are pure. He was never the kind of man to write letters or be a one-woman man, but I feel he has changed since going into combat. Your Ruth brings out the best in him, as I feel you bring out the best in me.
          I'm sure you have heard of Hugh's latest antics, if he manages to smuggle any more women onto the base I fear he'll be court-martialed for disobeying a direct order. Don't worry I'll try my best to keep him out of trouble.
           I suppose the main reason for my letter is to inform you of the dance being held at the officers club next weekend. I would very much like to take you if you are free. I know Johnny is asking Ruth to go as well, so if you would like I can send a car to pick you up and bring you to the base. Of course, it will be late when the dance ends so I can arrange for you to stay in one of the Red Cross Woman's Nissan huts, I believe they are well furnished although I have never been inside. I really do look forward to your reply and I hope that you will be able to attend.
You are in my thoughts always Hope.
Yours truly
Gale Cleven

Hope smiled, running her thumb over the crumpled letter as she read Gale's words again. She had to admit she had thought of him often since their encounter over a week ago, not that she would admit that to Ruth, who somehow managed to bring up Johnny every chance she got.
When their letters came around this morning Hope had pocketed her letter, waiting for a quiet moment in the afternoon to truly appreciate Gale's words. He had excellent penmanship, she noted, loving how his words seemed to glide across the page. The way he spoke caused her heart rate to quicken and she felt giddy, like a silly school girl with a crush on her classmate. Gale just seemed to have an effect on her that no man had ever had before. He was different from anyone she'd ever met. Hope had never believed in love at first sight, and she couldn't say that she liked Gale when they first met, he'd been cocky and made assumptions, and yet he'd quickly changed into a charming young man.
Hope sighed, running her eyes over the letter again. It was 17:55 and Ruth was supposed to be meeting her at 18:00, but from the sound of the rain lashing against the windowpane, Hope hoped she'd be a little late. After receiving his letter, Hope wanted time to stand still, wanting to embrace his words and all that they meant. Hope had just finished reading the last line again when Ruth burst through the doorway. Hope didn't look up but could hear her friend padding barefoot around the room.
"Who's the letter from?" Ruth asked, pulling on a pair of dry pants, a sweater, and some socks. Her footlocker closed with a thud and she plopped down on her creaky mattress, drying the ends of her hair with a towel.
Hope didn't look up from the page but held up an unopened letter. "You got one, too. You should open it."
"Not right now," Ruth sighed. "Right now, I need a nap."
Glancing at her with a raised eyebrow, Hope grinned. "It's from a certain Major."
In an instant, Ruth was on her feet, snatching the letter from Hope's outstretched hand.
"If you'll excuse me," she said calmly as she excused herself for a moment.
Hope smiled in amusement as she watched Ruth try to contain herself from exploding with happiness. Chuckling at her antics, Hope returned her attention to her own letter.
The next thing Hope knew was the excitable squeal that left Ruth's lips, "WE'RE GOING TO A DANCE!" She cried, her face lighting up like a Christmas tree, jumping up and down like an excitable child. Hope chuckled at her friend's enthusiasm, taking great delight in her friend's happiness. With everything they had been through together, they deserved to have some fun. Ruth's jumping slowly came to an end, and the situation dawned on her.
Ruth's voice dropped to a whisper, and her eyes widened. "We're going to a dance."
Hope knew what was coming, and stood off her bed, grabbing onto her friend's upper arms gently.
"You're going to be fine, Ruth."
"I don't know, Hope. You know I don't like huge crowds," she replied.
The dark-haired nurse sighed. "Do you want to see Bucky? Yes or no?"
"Yes!" Ruth replied within a split second.
A satisfied grin worked its way onto Hope's lips as she spoke. "There's your answer."
She pulled Ruth into a tight hug, her own excitement showing through. "What are we going to wear?"