When I Was Gone

Alabama

May 3rd, 1943

"Mrs. Forester, do you need anything?" I asked my mother-in-law.

"No, Emily, thank you though. Let me know if you get any letters from Jayden. Be sure to tell them that his Aunt Jessica, the one helping myself and Kayleigh out, she's a tad ill."

"That's fine, I got it, Mrs-"

"Emily, please. We are family, just call me mom." Mrs. Forster smiled at me. I smiled back and said goodbye to Kayleigh and her Aunt Jessica then walked out to the door of my car. When I got in, I just found myself sitting there, thinking about how my husband could be on his way to his own death. I have try and keep myself upbeat, for myself and my child. I've started to show quite a bit, you can see it if you really pay attention. It's not a very public thing to show, so often I cover it up the best I can.

I turn on the car and drive to the doctors office for my appointment. I'm a little nervous, it's my first time back since I found out I was pregnant. Before I walk in, I light my cigarette. Smoking calms my nerves, and many of my friends smoked when they were pregnant too. They were pregnant before me, they had their children right out of high school. Jayden and I started fairly later. My mind keeps drifting and I walk into the doctors office. I sign in and sit down in the quiet waiting room. I put down my cigarette as the doctor called me in. I got undressed into a hospital gown.

"So, Ms. Emily, how are you feeling?" Dr. Smith asked as I got onto the patient bed.

"I feel alright, it feels like pretty weird stuff." I chuckle. Doctor Smith laughed too.

"Are you dealing well with morning sickness? Anything seem unusual?"

"Uh, yes, actually. I haven't had it in a long time."

"That's good not to have it! It's a less worry to your day."

I smiled. It really was one less worry.

"Now, you're four months in and almost up to six months, do you want to have a home birth or hospital birth?"

"I've been thinking about doing it the hospital, it just seems easier."

"Very well then." The doctor wrote it down.

"But, besides the baby moving around, I've been feeling pain right here." I pushed my side a little bit.

Dr. Smith felt the spot. "That's your gallbladder, that means it'll need to be taken out."

"Right now?"

"Well, no. But soon would be ideal. You'll will need to be on bed rest now even though you are well before the third trimester."

"Oh..."

"Ms. Emily, I'm sure you'll be fine. Just get on home and relax."

"Alright, thank you." I left the doctors office and drove two hours home, it's not quite a long drive if you leave at the right time of day. I came back to town and went to the post office to pick up any letters from Jayden. There was nothing but bills and junk mail. I noticed a letter in someone else's mailbox, and it had several letters, one of them, Jayden's letter, to me was displaced in the other mailbox. I ripped it open to read it:

"March 13, 1943

Emily,

This may end up being a fairly short letter. I am now in the 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines in the Pacific. I haven't done any actual fighting, but I am prepared. I'm in Hawaii at the Marine Corps Base, so write to this address now. I got your previous letter just before leaving North Carolina. How are you back home? My mother, sister, and Aunt Jessica? Your parents and siblings? How about our new family in the making? Again, sorry it's a short letter, it's still quite busy over here!