Jamie,
Surprise! I know you werenât expecting an e-mail from me. I only hope youâll read it before deleting it or marking it as spam.
I talked with Peter and he reminded me that youâre deployed. He didnât give me any details, and thatâs okay. I donât need to know specifics, unless you want to share them with me. I mean, if you can. I know sometimes people arenât allowed to share where they are when theyâre deployed.
Elisabeth paused, her hands resting on her laptop keyboard. She was rambling via e-mail. Jamie certainly didnât want to read a bunch of blathering from her.
Anyway, I wanted to say I wish things had ended differently that day we talked in the coffee shop. And that Iâm sorry. Again. And Iâll be praying for you while youâre deployedâalthough I forgot to ask Peter how long youâll be gone because I also donât remember if you told me. And he couldnât tell me what youâre doing. So Iâll keep the prayers generalâhealth, safety, encouragement.
I guess thatâs it. Take care of yourself.
Elisabeth
She stared at the screen for a few minutes. Walked away from her laptop into her galley kitchen to reward herself with a grape soda. Came back and whispered a brief âPlease let him read it and write backâ prayer. And then pushed Send.
⢠⢠â¢
March
âSo he never replied to your e-mail?â Tori sounded as disappointed as Elisabeth felt.
âNo, and itâs been three weeks. Did you double-check the e-mail address for me?â
âYes. Peter said it was right.â
âOkay, then.â Elisabeth stretched out on her couch, resting her head against the padded arm and staring up at the ceiling. âHe got it and either deleted my e-mail without reading it or he read it and decided not to respond.â
âOr maybe it ended up in his spam folder.â
Yeah. Or he sent it there.
âI guess.â
âSo what are you going to do?â
âNothing. I told Peter if Jamie didnât reply, I wouldnât e-mail him again.â
âBut you didnât tell Peter how many times youâd e-mail Jet before youâd give up if he didnât reply . . .â
Elisabeth could almost see the scheming sparkle in her friendâs eyes. âI think youâre quibbling, Tori.â
âDid you?â
âNo. But I think one time was implied.â She ran her hand along the faded material covering the couch. Maybe it was time to stop living like a college student and buy some new furniture.
âIf you didnât specifically say youâd only e-mail Jet one time, then thereâs no problem with you e-mailing him one more timeâjust to see if heâll reply to your second e-mail.â
âIf he wouldnât reply to my first e-mail, why would he reply to the second?â
âJust write the second e-mail, Lis. If he doesnât respond to that one, then let it go. What can it hurt?â
âNothing but my ego, I guess. And itâs already taken a hit.â
âYour egoâor your heart?â
âMy heart isnât involved, Tori. I just want to end things better with Jamie.â
âEnd things . . . or start something?â
âIt doesnât matter if he wonât reply.â
âThen send him another e-mail. Deal?â
âDeal.â
Later that night Elisabeth dragged her laptop into bed with her. As she kicked the blankets down to the end of the bed, she realized she was wearing the same snowman pajamas sheâd had on the night Jamie had shown up in her hotel roomâand sheâd doused him with a bottle of water.
Did he remember that night? Did he think of her at all?
Elisabeth opened up her inbox, and pulled up a blank e-mail. Typed in Jamieâs address. Rested one hand on the keyboard and covered her eyes with the other.
God, please let Jamie read this e-mail. Please