Page 11 of A Valentine's Day Gift
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Dear Allie,
I was happy to get your letter. I guess we were what each other needed at the right time. I figure if I was still working over there, I’d ask you about your boys, so how’re they doing? Gabe and Luke still crazy about Mario? How’s Jared doing with his skateboarding? I hope he hasn’t gotten stuck in any more trees. My boys are good. Vince is showing a great arm as a pitcher, and Nico just hit a grand slam in last night’s game. Angel’s doing well too, though the coach had to tell him to face the ball more than once. He keeps looking down at third base, playing in the dirt. Maybe baseball isn’t his sport.
How’re you? Are you working on a new book series? I hope to see your work in a lot of books. I’m sure it’ll make a lot of kids happy to see it. It’s beautiful, realistic but better than reality, if that makes sense. I’m rambling.
I’m hanging in there, busy like always with work and the boys. Can’t complain. Everyone’s healthy. Except my father-in-law. He’s been sent to a hospice. Life’s short. Now I’m depressing myself, so I’ll sign off. Paint some sunshine for me. I could use a little of your light in my life.
Vinny
Vinny,
Enclosed is your requested sunshine. I used colored pencil for this one. Sorry about your father-in-law. Life sucks sometimes.
My boys are doing well. All three just got report cards with straight As. I’m sensing some college bills in my future. Maybe if I sell a kidney. Ha! Or a million books. I’m sending my portfolio to a bunch of publishers, hoping for contract work. Maybe one day I’ll create the text to go with my illustrations and then I’d get the whole royalty instead of half. Just have to think of some cute concept kids would like. Somehow I don’t think eat your vegetables and go to bed on time will catch on.
I think of you often and hope life is treating you well.
Gabe came home with a black eye from a bully at school. The other boy was suspended. I’m not sure what to do to keep it from happening again. His dad says he needs to toughen up. I think maybe I should put him in a different school. What would you do?
Allie
Allie,
Here’s what I would do. Talk to the bully’s parents about it not happening again. Then I would talk to Gabe about self-defense. He has to know the basics, blocking a punch, throwing a punch with his thumb tucked on the outside of his fingers, not in. Sometimes the only thing that stops a bully is giving him a taste of his own medicine. If his dad can’t teach him the basics, take Gabe to someone who can. Maybe go to a karate class if it comes down to it. And tell him to make friends with the biggest boy in his class. How you think I got so popular?
Tell me about you, how you spend your days, when you’re at your happiest. I like picturing it.
Vinny
Vinny,
Well, no more black eyes. Gabe says everything’s okay now. I hope that’s true. I took him to a karate class, but he hated it so much he didn’t make it past the two-week free-trial period. He made friends with the biggest kid in his class, Shane, who is a very nice boy with the brightest red hair.
I’m at my happiest painting in the early morning light with music blasting in the background, something with a good beat I can rock out to.
When are you at your happiest?
Allie
Allie,
I’m at my happiest when I get a letter from you.
Vinny
She pressed the letter to her heart, her eyes welling. It had had that effect on her the first time she’d read it, and now rereading it for the millionth time after a year of letters, it was just as powerful. Simple, to the point, yet it grabbed her by the throat.
Ayearof letters.
Too many to tuck in a book. She kept them tied with a pink ribbon, hidden in the storage space above her studio. Her letters had been mailed down the street, his hand-delivered early Friday morning. Innocent letters yet not. She yearned for more. She wanted to see him, hear him, be with him. The distance between them was a problem that only she could fix. She wrote him one final letter, knowing he’d read between the lines.
Vinny,
I have a very difficult decision to make due to our deepening friendship. I will be in touch to let you know how things turn out. This will be my last letter until then. Please do not write back. I need to think.
Allie
