The Last Epistle

12. Missed opportunities

"Annie, darling how are you?" The soft warm voice filled Dianes ear as she held the telephone to it, standing leaned against the wall where it hung,

The long black cord curled around her slender fingers, and hints of a smile etching themself on her face.

"I'm okay mama how are you?" She said softly, playing with the cord every once in a while,

"Oh I'm just fine sweets, just got back from the market actually, this really great yard sale just a few house do-"

"You weren't there looking for stuff for the wedding were you?"  Diane asked, brows frowning in a scolding gaze even though her mother couldn't see it.

"Oh well" she huffed "that wasn't the only rea-" "You mean it was on the agenda!" She asked slightly apalled but she upped it for the theatrics of it all.

"Honey, you know I can't help it, you're my only child of course I'd be this excited, it's not everyday poor old me gets this kind of a happy rush" her mother said, knowing she'd melt.

"You're not old" she mumbled, still not very acceptable to the fact that her parents aged at the same way as she did,

"Oh sweets of course I'm not" her mother took control of the situation before Diane spiralled into a rant about her mother's habit of throwing around words (facts) like that.

"But you also shouldn't be lifting heavy things like that, remember what your doctor said? And to lift centre pieces of all things" her mother sighed in defeat,

"Your father told you, didnt he?" She said dejectedly

"Of course he did, he cares about your health unlike you" she scolded, keeping the façade for a small while before breaking,

"I don't want you to suffer, it's just my wedding mama, no matter to risk your health over, you know I don't like that" she muttered looking at the cord hanging from her fingers

"Its Labour of love sweets, I love doing it because I want to" she explains warmly

Diane shakes her head knowing they'd keep going in circles if this conversation was to go any further,

"How's daddy?" She asked changing the topic, "oh he's well honey, just went out with his friends from the park" her mother told her,

Dianes father had recently befriended some very nice older gentlemen, retired much like her father. She'd met them the last time they visited,

Last time when she found the box,

"Hey, mama" Diane started, I found this box in the attic, the statement dancing on the tip of her tongue, waiting to be said, waiting

"I tried your pie recipe yesterday" she bit out, standing up straight from where she was leaning against the wall, face scrunching in one of frustration,

Leg stomping silently, almost dancing weirdly in frustration, she opened her eyes from where they were closed in tension, turning her head to see Steve stopped midway in a step and looking at her with incredulous look,

"What happened"? He mouthed to her, Diane just waved her hand around and shook her head, her mothers voice flowing through the receiver as she talks about some new recipe no doubt,
So close.

"Annie? Are you there?" "Y-yes! Yes mama right here" Diane looked back at Steve who looked back with amusement dancing on his face as he shook his head and went about his business.

Diane talked for a while then, about every irrelevant thing in the book, before her mother was excusing herself, and then she'd set the phone down and walked through the hall to find Steve sitting on the sofa,

He patted besides him as she looks at him with tired eyes and slumped down next to him, which he took as an invitation to wrap his arm around her shoulders

"What happened" he repeated his question, Diane hummed with some delay and laid her head on his shoulder,

"I was going to ask her today, you know, about the box?" She explained and then left it right there,

"You didn't?" She shook her head, no. "Its okay, just tell her once you're done with it" he offered.

"I mean I have to, soon-ish" she agreed

"Wait right here" she said and got up hurriedly and ran to their room, taking the box with her she returned and set it down on their coffee table and then sat back in her spot

She opened the box and took the second one out, as was the order they were placed in,

Dear Stella,

I'm sorry I haven't written in a while, we were on the front for sometime, you're getting this so now you know I'm alive,

To answer any questions, I keep your handkerchief by my pillow at night and your photo in my pocket at all times,

I look at it each night, reminds me of what's waiting for me once i get back, and I will.

Life in the 105th is as well as it can be with an overflow of tired and frustrated men who don't want to be here,

We try to be amiable, we are most of the time, I was walking on eggshells when I first came here, I think we all were, but it gets better with each day.

I feel like everyone here realizes everyday that they really don't have the choice of being angry at anyone let alone the other men, we're all suffering in our own way,

I found my bunkmate crying the other night, I could hear him sniffling from below me, I know I shouldn't have peeked but I did, he was clutching his families photo to his chest, the one he'd shown me some time back,

His wife and son, I can't imagine what he's going through, I haven't married you yet darling but I could break down in tears right now if I had to think about it.

The war has broken our spirits, on that field we run like sheep's in a herd, trying to escape the next wolf and then the next,

I'll fight any wold out there if that means I get to see you, and ma and pa.

I'll see you soon, I promise.

All my love,
Matthew.

Diane snuggled in response after they'd read it in silence "I hope they met" she whispers "maybe they did" Steve says back

"I really wish the war hadn't happened" she sighed "me too, love, me too" he agreed, pressing a kid's to her head

"How about we play a game of cards and you can attempt to defeat me?" He proposed "What do you mean attempt? Oh I will defeat you Mr. Reynolds" she huffed out a laugh,

Fingers tickling his stomach from her position "OH- no, no! This is cheating! Stop, diane-" before he burst out laughing and she laughed along at his reaction

"Come on hot shot, we got a game to play" she patted his stomach and got up closing the box and then going to get the cards.

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