A Soldier's Christmas

aying locked in their room where it was warm and inviting.

Chapter 16

The greeting today had been warm and a lot more welcoming. Emma had called her parents on the way to the house, but she’d been surprised to discover that, when they arrived, there had been cake warming in the oven, and coffee had been freshly brewed in the new machine. And her dad had been present with a hug waiting for her. She hadn’t missed the constant look that he passed to Logan, but, so far, there hadn’t been any trace of the unsure looks of the day before.

Emma’s heart felt lighter in her chest when her dad had suggested that Logan head to the barn with him to give him a hand with the sleigh, as Travis wasn’t around to help. Her dad wasn’t one for laying down the law because he always left that to her mom, so she knew Logan was safe with him.

While Emma watched her mom remove the cake that she’d baked, Emma debated asking about the letters. It was on the tip of her tongue, but she was nervous, and afraid of what the answer would be. Part of her hoped that the answer would be yes, because then they’d know what happened, but if she said no, they were back at the beginning.

“You’re quiet,” her mom observed, and placed the freshly baked cake onto the middle of the kitchen table. “I thought you were happy to have Logan here and, well, with you.” She raised a brow in question.

Emma sighed. “I am happy he’s here, but it’s the missing letters that is now on my mind.” Emma met her mom’s gaze. “We both wrote to each other. We never stopped, but our letters stopped reaching their destination. Logan and I, need to know what happened to them, and why. Do you understand, Mom? We can’t settle until we know why...and, I’m wondering if you know the answer.”

The reaction from her mom wasn’t one that she’d expected. Her mom looked resigned more than anything and, with a sigh, she dropped into a chair opposite Emma.

Emma felt close to tears because that was surely her mom’s confession. It had to be.

“Why, Mom?” her voice broke miserably. Until then, she hadn’t realized just how much she didn’t want it to be because of her own mother—anything…anyone…but her mom.

“He was overseas, you and Seth were here. You weren’t really living, or rather you were, but for his letters. I wanted you to forget him and go after Seth.”

“But I never did. I didn’t want Seth, Mom. The only person I’ve ever connected to is out in the barn with Dad.” Emma swiped at the tears as they ran down her face. “Why would you want me to be so unhappy? I cried and longed for just one word from him to let me know that he was still breathing. All this time, you’ve known he was fine.”

“I didn’t think at first, but then it got to the point where it would have seemed odd to suddenly start receiving them again.” Her mom wiped at a stray tear on her own cheek. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I thought that within a month you’d be back to your usual self.”

“Mom, I haven’t been myself for a long time.” Then something else dawned on Emma. “Did you read my letters to him? How did you stop me from receiving his? Did you read his too before you destroyed them?” Emma started pacing as her anger rose.

“Emma, please sit down and I’ll answer your questions.”

Emma paused and grabbed a Kleenex from the box on the counter before she sat back down. Her mom looked upset about her confession, but she was too calm when Emma needed to shout and scream.

“I never read any of the letters, yours or his. I just never mailed yours and…and, I got a friend to keep Logan’s back so that they wouldn’t get delivered. She’d then message me and I’d go pick them up in town…I’m so sorry, Emma.”

Emma shook her head. “What did you do with the letters?”

“I’ll get them.” Her mom stood and walked out of the kitchen, slower than she normally would.

Emma tried to ignore the fact that her mom seemed genuinely sorry for holding them back, but she couldn’t forgive her, at least not yet.

Walking back in, her mom held a box, that at one time held a pair of boots, and placed it in front of her.

“Everything is in there.”

She lifted her eyes and let her mom see all her pain. “You do realize that what the ‘friend’ did by stopping Logan’s letters from reaching the house was illegal and that Logan and I would be within our rights to report what happened to the sheriff.” Emma wouldn’t be talking to the sheriff, but she’d support whatever decision Logan made. They were a team.

“Oh, Emma, please don’t do that. She did it for me. I know I shouldn’t have asked her, but I did it because I was worried about you being so lost in a man that you’d never met.”

She had to give her mom something because no matter what she’d done or the reason why, Emma still loved her mother. “Providing everything is in here,” she rested her hand on the box, “then we probably won’t.”

Emma stood and pulled on her coat.

“You’re leaving? Please, Emma. Stay and have some cake. Let me apologize to Logan.”

Emma held the box tightly in her arms and faced her mom. “I need to be alone with Logan right now.” She pulled open the backdoor and walked down the steps, her tears coated her face. At Logan’s truck, Emma placed the box onto the backseat and went looking for her man.

She tried to control the water works but nothing seemed to work, which is why, when Logan saw her, he dropped the tool and dashed to her side.

“What the hell!” He pulled her into his arms before he set her a bit away to cup her face. “What happened, babe? You’re scaring me.”