Dahlia sighed as she brought in the mail and sifted through it. More letters from Webster.
She opened them up and skimmed through them, Joe had managed to keep his life on the down-low.
Joe sat at the kitchen table smoking and peering into his cup of coffee.
"Hey," Dahlia slid into the chair next to Joe. Joe took the cigarette out and kissed her cheek.
"Web sent some more letters," Dahlia set the paper down in front of her husband.
"Hun...I don't want to talk to any of them I want to leave it all behind." Joe sighed and took another drag.
"Hun they're worried about you, they want to know you're okay." Dahlia picked up Joe's hand.
"Doll, it's just it's hard," he put out his cigarette and took a drink from his coffee.
"I know I'm never going to understand Joe but these men were your friends for four years." She sighed holding his hand tighter now.
"Just leave it be Dahlia," he freed his hand from her and stormed upstairs. She sighed and locked the door and shut the lights off downstairs before grabbing the three envelopes and going upstairs. She dipped into her office and pulled out a piece of paper and an envelope pulling the string on her lamp.
She sat at the desk and wrote eagerly to Web explaining why they hadn't heard from Joe and an update on his life.
Joe leaned his head into the office, "Hun what're you up to?" He checked his watch, "It's 10:30."
"Just writing to my sister sorry," she lied as she sealed the envelope and wrote Webster's address on it.
Dahlia got up and leaned on Joe as they walked to their bedroom.
"Do you know how much I love you?" Joe peppered Dahlia's face with kisses and picked her up by her waist. And tossed her onto their bed gently.
"I love you too Joey," she giggled and sat up and kissed her husband.
Joe woke up in a cold sweat after dreaming about Landsberg again. He sighed and kissed Dahlia's cheek gently before climbing out of bed. He walked downstairs and slipped on his Paratrooper jacket and his shoes before taking his keys and walking out quietly to clear his head on a walk.
All he could think about when he closed his eyes were those camps.
How any of them easily could've been Dahlia, his parents, his sisters, god damn even himself.
He lit a cigarette and took a long drag. As his feet hit the pavement and he neared the bored walk where he could hear the water slapping the shore.
"Joe what the hell," a familiar voice ran up behind him.
"Dahlia why're you awake?" He turned looking at his wife.
"Damn it Joe you got out of bed and just left. When you got up you woke me. I need to know that you're going to be okay." She sighed and Joe held her hand as they walked onto the boardwalk. Both of them taking a seat in the cold sand as the moon was nearing the horizon.
"Doll," Joe sighed pushing her thick brown hair from her face.
She sighed giving up her fight and leaning her head on Joe's shoulder.
He pulled her into him in an attempt to keep her warm.
"It's just...those camps...that could have been you, my mom, my sisters." He let out a sob and put his head in his hands.
"Hey hey Joe," she rubbed his back, "They got their justice..."
"Dahlia I know but every time I sleep it's all I can think about finding you dead amongst them." He cried, she sighed and put her arm around her husband.
"Maybe we should get you a support group. When I chat with Malarkey he tells me about how it's helped him." Dahlia sighed and ran her hands through Joe's soft hair.
"I'm not going to a fucking shrink," he sighed as he rested his head on her.
"Joe please, just go to one group session with Malarkey. If not for yourself then do it for me." Dahlia sighed and kissed Joe's head.
"Okay..." he huffed and she shivered next to him. He quickly removed his jacket and put it around Dahlia's shoulders.
She sighed and stared at Joe's scar on his neck. He had his eyes fixated on the ocean.
"Webster wrote a book about sharks," she sighed turning and looking out as the horizon started to grow a light blue and the moon sank into the ocean.
"Did he? Did he finish at his fancy ivy school?" Joe asked pulling Dahlia into his lap gently.
"Top of his class," she smiled leaning her head back against Joe.
Dahlia always chatted with the men whether through phone or letters.
"You're so beautiful," Joe held both of her hands.
"Joe," she smiled as he breathed on her neck.
"Let's go home sweetheart." Joe sighed standing up off the beach and pulling Dahlia up with him.
Joe reached his arms around her waist and pulled her in for a sweet kiss.