Dear Aaron Read online

  Dear Aaron

  Mariana Zapata

  Dear Aaron © 2017 Mariana Zapata

  All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the author is unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.

  This e-book is a work of fiction. While reference might be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2017 Mariana Zapata

  Book Cover Design by Letitia Hasser, Romantic Book Affairs

  Editing by Hot Tree Editing

  Formatting by Jeff Senter, Indie Formatting Services

  To my Isaac, the greatest nephew in the history of nephews

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Also by Mariana Zapata

  Chapter 1

  June

  June 3, 2008

  Dear Aaron,

  My name is Ruby Santos, and I’m your new pairing through the Help a Soldier Foundation.

  I’m not sure if you’ve participated with Help a Soldier in the past or if this is your first time, but if you aren’t familiar with the fine print of the program, I’ll break you in so that you aren’t wondering why this person named Ruby from Houston, Texas is e-mailing and sending you letters. (It’ll probably be a month or so from now before you start getting mail from me, so this might get a bit awkward. After we get the hang of this, I’ll try not to send you the same message that I also e-mail because that would get boring.)

  According to the foundation’s guidelines, I’m supposed to reach out to you once a week while you are deployed… wherever it is you’re deployed. They don’t tell me these things. All I know is that you’re a staff sergeant. Please don’t feel obligated to tell me where you are unless you want to. It doesn’t matter to me. Since I’m not sure if you prefer e-mails or getting letters, I’ll do both in the meantime. You can let me know which you would rather get.

  I’m not even close to being rich, but hopefully every once in a while, I can send you a care package. Hopefully you understand. I’m sure you’re busy, so I won’t bore you too much now.

  Since we’re in this for the long haul, I’ll ask you a few questions so we can start getting to know each other. Hope that works for you.

  Do you go by Aaron or something else?

  How many months do you have left in your deployment?

  If I could send you one thing from home, what would it be?

  I look forward to hearing from you, but if you’re busy, that’s okay, too. I promise I’ll write every week anyway.

  All the best,

  Ruby

  June 8, 2008

  Dear Aaron,

  It’s your new Help a Soldier pairing, Ruby from Houston.

  I hope you’re doing well and that you received my e-mail and/or letter.

  I’ll answer the questions I asked you last week so you can get to know me a little.

  I go by Ruby. Rubes. Rubella (only my mom calls me that). Squirt (everyone I’m related to or knows me through family calls me that.)

  N/A since I’m not the one deployed.

  If our roles were reversed, those packets of microwave-ready macaroni and cheese would be exactly what I would miss and want more of. Please don’t ask how many I can eat in a single sitting.

  There isn’t much to tell about me, but if you have any questions, ask away.

  All the best,

  Ruby

  June 15, 2008

  Dear Aaron,

  It’s Ruby again. I hope you’re doing well. Have any of my letters shown up? Are my e-mails coming through? I won’t send you anything new via e-mail until I’m sure the messages are going to the right place. They haven’t bounced back to me as undeliverable, but I would rather play it safe.

  If you’ve sent me a response through snail mail, I haven’t gotten it yet, and if you haven’t, that’s okay, too. I know these things take a while.

  I know I already asked, but have you participated with HaS before? You’re my third soldier that I’ve done this exchange with and usually we trade questions back and forth to get to know each other. Hopefully you don’t think I’m being intrusive. I had pen pals in other countries when I was a kid through a program at my elementary school and I thought it was fun. HaS is like a grown-up version of it.

  I have more questions for you.

  Do you play video games?

  Are you an only child or do you have siblings?

  Pizza or cheeseburgers?

  Hope to hear from you soon,

  Ruby

  June 23, 2008

  Dear Aaron,

  It’s Ruby Santos, your Help a Soldier pair again.

  I’ll answer the questions I sent you last week below if that’s okay.

  Video games: I really enjoy playing video games when I get a chance. My old Nintendo still works, and I’ve been known to play Duck Hunt for hours at a time if I’m stressed.

  Siblings or no: I’m (un)lucky enough to have two brothers and two sisters. I’m the fourth in line.

  Pizza or cheeseburgers: Cheeseburgers all the way forever.

  Hope everything on your side of the world is well.

  Best wishes,

  Ruby

  June 29, 2008

  Dear Aaron,

  It’s Ruby.

  I hope you’re doing fine. I haven’t heard from you, and I know this kind of thing happens, but I worry anyway. I’m still sending the same e-mails and messages, so I hope I’m not boring you.

  I’m not sure what to send you, and more questions seem annoying, so I’ll give you a break. I hope you don’t mind terrible jokes because they’re my favorite. Here’s a military one:

  Sergeant Major to a young soldier: “I didn’t see you at camouflage training this morning, soldier.”

  Soldier: “Thank you very much, sir.”

  All the best,

  Ruby

  Chapter 2

  July

  July 5, 2008

  Hi Aaron,

  It’s Ruby, your “adopter” from Houston.

  I hope you’re doing well. I’ll spare you from jokes this letter just in case you didn’t appreciate the one last week. So more questions! Again!

  Pretzels or chips?

  Summer sports or winter sports?

  Dogs or cats?

  Hope all is well.

  Best wishes,

  Ruby Santos

  July 12, 2008

  Dear Aaron,

  It’s Ruby, your HaS pairing/the broken record.

  I really hope you’re doing fine. I still haven’t heard from you through e-mail or by letter, but I hope my messages are coming through some way.

  I’ll answer the questions I asked you last week.

  Pretzels or chips: Chip
s, preferably Fritos.

  Summer sports or winter sports: Winter sports.

  Dogs or cats: Both, but mini pigs trump dogs and cats.

  Hope you’re hanging in there.

  All the best,

  Ruby Santos

  July 19, 2008

  Hi Aaron,

  It’s Ruby. Sending a postcard this week to spice it up. I’m in Orlando with my family (see: the Mickey Mouse on the other side.) Hopefully Mickey makes you smile as much as he makes me smile.

  -Ruby S.

  July 26, 2008

  Dear Aaron,

  It’s Ruby. I’m back home in Houston. If you’re curious, my vacation went great. I even got a pretty serious tan. That was my sixth time going to Orlando with my family, and it never gets old.

  I have some more questions for you:

  Have you ever been to Orlando/Disney?

  Apples or oranges?

  Cake or pie?

  Best wishes,

  Ruby

  Chapter 3

  August

  August 2, 2008

  Dear Aaron,

  I hope you’re doing okay. I contacted the Help a Soldier foundation to make sure you’re fine and to double-check the address/e-mail I have for you since I haven’t gotten a response. Hopefully I’m only overreacting. I know I’ve told you I’ve done this before, but every other soldier has always reached out to me at least through e-mail once a month (not that I’m putting pressure on you, I just want to make sure I have all the right information and I’m not sending things to the wrong person or address).

  I just realized how clingy that sounds, but I don’t mean it in that way.

  I hope you’re fine, and I’ll leave you with another joke since I spared you from one last month.

  A group of soldiers were standing at formation when their instructor said, “All right, all you dummies fall out.”

  Only one man in the squad stayed at attention while the rest wandered off.

  The instructor walked over to the soldier who hadn’t left and met him eye to eye. The soldier smiled and said, “Sure was a lot of them, huh, sir?”

  Best wishes,

  -Ruby Santos

  August 9, 2008

  Dear Aaron,

  I decided to switch it up this week again and send you something different. The picture I’ve sent along is one of my favorites in the whole world. I bought it when I was eighteen. My sister took me with her to Iceland for her college graduation present and I found the print at a little store. I bought three copies and gave one to my best friend. Sometimes when I have a bad day, it’s nice to remind myself that the world is a lot bigger than I am and whatever crap I have going on in my life, and the Aurora Borealis has that effect on me. Isn’t it beautiful?

  Hope you’re doing well.

  All the best,

  Ruby

  P.S. I still haven’t heard back from the foundation.

  August 19, 2008

  Aaron,

  The Help a Soldier foundation got back to me a few days ago, and they said they confirmed that you’re still deployed and that they provided the correct information to reach you.

  I’ve thought it over and maybe we didn’t hit it off, or I did/wrote something wrong, and that’s okay. This will be my last letter/e-mail to you. They’re going to switch me out with someone else in the foundation, so you should continue getting mail on time.

  My brother was a marine, and I joined this program because he told me how lonely and bored soldiers get when they’re overseas. It’s easy for me to forget that not everyone has a big, overwhelming family like mine. Writing back and forth while he (my brother) was in Iraq made us really close. Loneliness even when you’re surrounded by others is something I understand well.

  I’m wishing you the best while you’re stationed somewhere in the world. Thank you for your sacrifice and bravery. Take care.

  Best wishes always,

  -Ruby Santos

  From: [email protected]

  Date: August 24, 2008 1:08 p.m.

  To: [email protected]

  Subject: RE: Help a Soldier

  Ruby,

  This is Aaron with Help a Soldier.

  All your letters and e-mails have come through… sorry for taking so long to reach out.

  -A

  From: [email protected]

  Date: August 28, 2008 1:46 p.m.

  To: [email protected]

  Subject: RE: RE: Help a Soldier

  Ruby,

  This is Aaron again. Haven’t heard back from you… Can we start over?

  -A

  Chapter 4

  September

  From: [email protected]

  Date: September 1, 2008 2:05 a.m.

  To: [email protected]

  Subject: Hi

  Hi Aaron,

  My name is Ruby, and I live in Texas. I was paired up with you through the Help a Soldier foundation.

  If you aren’t familiar with the program, I’ll break you in so that you aren’t wondering why I’m e-mailing and sending you letters. According to the program’s guidelines, I’m supposed to reach out to you every week. I am not even close to being rich, but hopefully every once in a while, I can send you a care package.

  I’m sure you’re busy, so I won’t make this long.

  Since we’re in this for at least a few more months, I’ll ask you some questions so we can get to know each other.

  Do you go by Aaron or something else?

  How much longer do you have left of your deployment?

  If I could send you one thing from home, what would it be?

  I look forward to hearing from you.

  All the best,

  Ruby

  P.S. Does this count as starting over?

  P.P.S. It’s okay that you didn’t reach out until now. I kept putting off writing back to HaS about the reassignment.

  From: [email protected]

  Date: September 5, 2008 2:17 p.m.

  To: [email protected]

  Subject: RE: Hi

  Ruby,

  Thanks for writing. You’re the sixth match I’ve made through HaS, and the second one on this deployment. You’re the first one that lives in Texas. Are you originally from there?

  Letters and e-mails are enough for me. I appreciate you taking the time to write. You don’t need to do anything else.

  Here are the answers you asked about.

  My friends and family either call me Aaron or Hall, nothing original… sometimes asswipe. Why does your family call you Squirt?

  I have 8 months left before my deployment ends.

  If I could get something from home it would be a pizza… mac and cheese is number 2 on my list of things I miss.

  Hope you write back soon.

  -A

  P.S. This counts as starting over. Sorry for not writing you back before. I don’t have a good excuse. I had some personal mess going on… nothing to do with you. Hope you understand. Sorry again.

  From: [email protected]

  Date: September 7, 2008 1:55 a.m.

  To: [email protected]

  Subject: Texas and Nicknames

  Dear Aaron,

  You’re welcome for writing. I’m sure you’re busy. It’s no biggie. All I wanted was to make sure someone was getting my mail.

  You’re my third soldier I’ve “adopted.” That’s a strange word, isn’t it? Like you’re not an adult. If I’m your second pairing in this deployment, does that mean you have another person or family who still messages you or did things not work out with them? Don’t feel obligated to answer that.

  I was born in California, but I’ve lived in Houston since I was four. Are you from Texas by any chance?

  I’ll stick with calling you Aaron. I’m curious and you don’t have to tell me, but who calls you asswipe?

  Squirt…. Everyone calls me that because I was the baby in the family for almost six years. I’m also the shortest. My little sis
ter was an “accident” I don’t like to think about. :)

  You’ve got me in a pickle with sending you pizza. I’ll have to think about how to make that happen, but luckily, I like solving a good problem.

  Okay, here are three more random questions (I switched one up from that time before we’re pretending didn’t happen. Reactivating my amnesia after this.):

  Do you play video games?

  Are you an only child or do you have siblings?

  What kind of movies do you like to watch?

  Hope you’re okay.

  Best wishes,

  Ruby Santos

  P.S. All is forgiven. Don’t worry. You don’t have to write me back every week. I promise I wasn’t trying to guilt trip you. I really was just worried I had offended you or my messages weren’t going through.