My darling Jake,

I miss you. I miss your smile, your laugh, everything about you. I wish you were still here with me. But I know that you’re doing good out there, fighting for our country. I am so proud of you, never think otherwise, but I still want you home safe.

The day you left will forever be etched in my mind. I remember you holding me in your big, muscular arms, telling me that it would be okay, that you were going to come home safe. I tried to show that I believed you, but I didn’t, Jake. I couldn’t believe you, no matter how much I wanted to. I still couldn’t help but expect the worst, that you were going to die out there, and I would never see you again.

Brian was small when you left, but he remembers you. He asks all about you, even more so now. He wants to know everything about you, your favorite color, how tall you are, and your favorite sport. And as I told him that your favorite sport was shooting, I broke down, right in front of him. He got very scared, so I tried to pull myself back together, but I just couldn’t help but imagine you being shot in battle. I don’t think I would be able to handle that.

Everyday I expect some kind of notification that you had been killed. I now know the true meaning of the phrase ‘no news is good news’. As long as nothing comes to tell me otherwise, I can still hope for your safe return.
Jake. I miss you. I love you. Please, I beg of you, come home safe.
Your loving wife,
Erica