Page 67 of Stuck with Me

“That’s love if I’ve ever seen it.”

My heart swells at his words. My pinch of guilt for my grandpa is lessening the more we delve into Gigi and Leo’s love story.

“Oh shit,” Nico mutters.

“What is it?”

Nico’s eyes scan the page quickly while his lips move. “There was an explosion in Leo’s camp. Only two men from his unit were found alive. The rest were considered dead or prisoners of war.” The sheets of paper in his hands tremble.

“Oh shit,” I repeat his words.

At the same time, we come to the realization, and both say, “She thought he was dead.”

Tears spring to my eyes again.

“You should read this one.” He hands the letter over, his hands still shaking.

My throat thickens, but I swallow and skim over the first part that Nico already summed up. The rest is Gigi saying she won’t believe he’s gone. She pleads for a sign from him that he’s still alive.

More letters from Gigi follow. Each one is more depressing than the last. She’s working herself to death at the diner. She sleeps at the cabin alone. Everyone is worried about her.

“Here,” I say, as I read a letter where Nico’s great aunt, Sara is mentioned. “Your great aunt Sara came to visit Gigi in Maple Ridge. To invite her to Marco’s wedding. Gigi says she would’ve attended but then Sara said her mama was disappointed she never came for Leo’s funeral.”

Nico sits up. “Wait, they had a funeral for him? He wasn’t even dead.”

“That’s exactly what Gigi said. That just because the military presumed him to be dead after one year of missing in action doesn’t mean she had to believe it. But…” I read further and then glance up at Nico, sadness in my voice. “It had been two years.”

“Where the hell was he for two years?”

I shake my head and thumb through the stack of letters on my lap.

“The next letter is like four years later.”

“Four years?”

“And…” I pause, and not for dramatic effect on purpose but because I’m in shock myself. “The next one is from Leo.”

“Read it.”

“You sure?”

He nods.

Dear Giana,

I debated sending you a letter at all. Maybe thinking I was dead would be better. But I couldn’t do that. I know you, and you would never give up hope I was still alive.

Sara told me about your marriage. About the baby. While I can’t lie and say I’m not devastated over it, I do understand. Sara says you held onto hope long after my family buried an empty box. So, for that, I thank you. I thank you for much more.

If it wasn’t for you, your letters, and your love, I never would’ve made it out alive.

After the explosion, I hid so I wouldn’t be captured. But I was injured pretty badly. A local took me in. Hid me and nursed me back to health. After that, I had to blend in amongst them, waiting until I found a US soldier and disclosed my identity. It took months after that for them to sneak me out of there. Another few months to get me back to Texas.

And I apologize that it’s taken me another few months of recovering back at the ranch. Growing used to being alive again. While also coming to terms with you no longer being mine.

If you feel any further obligation to me, I want you to know, I release you. I wish you nothing but the best in your life. But don’t think I won’t still love you and dream about you. And on occasion, I may still send you a letter. Letting you know how I’m doing. If you wish, I’d love to hear from you as well.

I just know this baby of yours is gonna be something else. Because he has the most incredible mama.

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