Letters of Peace

Dear Henry

July 8, 1974 

Dear Henry,

Henry, m henry, you haven't come back yet and I am worried. I don't know who to sent this to, I haven't heard from you either. I'm scared that you won't come home to me. I don't want to think of the worst, so I am going to write my vows for our wedding, when we get married.

I love you, Henry St. Claire.  I will love you for the rest of our lives. I thank you every day for the twins, for you coming home to me, for everything you've done for me. I never imagined being here with you and our families, getting married once and for all. I promise that I will love you with every fiver of my being and we will live a very, very long time together.

All my love,

Lena 

I sighed as I thought of the folded up note on my desk. He said that he would be home by now. Yet, at night, I lay in an empty bed and raise my children alone. Pheobe and Harvey are doing well, though I fear that they will think that Albert is their father and not Henry.

"Lena, helloo?" Albert called from beside me. I snapped my attention to my friend. "Are you alright?"

"Why isn't he home yet? It's been a month. He said that he would be home in a month." I whispered, gripping the handlebar of the stroler.

"Helene, he'll be home soon, I swear." Albert said, resting his hand over mine. He'd been my biggenst support lately. He suggested that we take a stroll in the park today, since it would be a waste to stay inside.

"Albert, I need him. You don't understand how badly I need him." I whispered. "I don't know if his babies will ever meet him! What if his plane got shot down? What if he's dead and they're just finding out that it's his corpse?"

"Helene, stop thinking like that. Hank is not dead. He said he would come home to you and he will come home to you." Albert exclaimed. I nodded as we neared a bench. I slowly sat down and pulled the babies close. They needed me to be strong for them, so I'll be strong for them.

"Can we go home?" I whispered. Albert took my and in his and gave it a squeeze. "Sure, Lena."

Albert sat in the back with the twins as I drove to the house. He was very good with kids. Kit and I had gone through great lengths to find someone to go out with him, a single mom via the war. Her name is Veronica and she has a two year old son named Dominic. He told me that he could see himself with these two in ten or more years.

"Albert, how's Veronica and Dom?" I asked as I pulled into the driveway. I had traded my bug for a panneled car like my father's. The bug was just too small for my little family.

"Wonderful. The three of us are going to Maine next week. Will you three be alright without me?" He asked.

"Of course," I said as I put my son in the stroller and helped Albert into his wheelchair. He held Pheobe in his arms as I pushed my family into the house. "We'll have Ansel and my family five minutes away."

"Helene," Albert said as he laid Pheobe next to Harvey, "Can you close your eyes?"

"Why?" I asked and did as he said. "Because," Albert said. "I have a surprise for you."

The door was opened and the stroller was pulled from my hands. My hands were grabbed immediately and I was pulled against a solid form. My breath hitched in my throat. What is going on?

"Open your eyes, Lena." He whispered in my ear. I sniffed and wrapped my arms around his neck tightly. "Love, please?" He begged.

"Henry," I sobbed into his collar. My knees went weak and I collapsed into my boyfriend. He's home. He's finally home. "What took you so long?"

"Shh, it doesn't matter. I'm home now and I'm never leaving." He told me. I raised my head and looked at him and he kissed me. "Never leaving you again. Or the twins." He mumbled against my lips. I pulled back and smiled at him, moving my arms to his waist and holding him tight against me. Someone cleared their throat from behind us and we jumped. Both our families were here.

"Did you guys know?" I whispered as we turned to them.

"Yes, we did." Henry's father replied. "He came back a week ago, then back home three days ago. Henry promised us to keep it a secret. He wanted to surprise you."

"Well, I'm surprised." I whispered, leaning into Henry. Henry's Mom and Mama came over to us with the babies in their arms.

"Am I going to break them if I touch them?" Henry asked, tightening his arms around my waist. I shook my head and took Harvey from my Mama. "No, they're indestructable." I whispered as his mother gave Henry Pheobe. Henry shakily held his daughter as he started crying.

"I'm so sorry, Lena." He said as he reached out for me. "I'm so sorry I missed their birth."

"It's okay, Henry. You're here now." I whispered.

"Yeah," He whispered, leaning his forehead against mine. "I'm never going to miss another minute of our family."