Get It Together

Chapter 16

It had been three weeks since Finn's last letter and Rachel was getting nervous. Everyday she had gone outside just as she normally did, and everyday the mail man would hand her letters, none which had Finn as the sender.

She had gotten frantic, and she went to the library every day, looking at news articles, anything to find out about Finn. She searched online all the time about deaths in Iraq, and she never found the name Finn Walker.

She was getting anxious, she knew Finn was still in training camp, but he could have been transferred. She did the one thing she could think of and that’s how she found herself in front of Lauren Walker’s house.

She rang the doorbell and waited impatiently. Lauren was Finn's mother, if there was something wrong she would be the first person to know.

Lauren opened the door to find Rachel standing there. She looked like hell, and she seemed like she hadn’t gotten any sleep in weeks, it was probably due to fear, fear for her son. God how she hated doing this, but she needed to, the two would be better off.

“Rachel?” She said acting surprised.

“Is Finn ok? I haven’t gotten a letter from him in weeks, and I usually get one every other day, and I’ve been looking everywhere, I check online all the time and I go to the library and look at the newspapers but there’s nothing. I don’t know what to do Ms. Walker. Please is Finn alright?” Lauren’s heart broke at the sight of the frantic young girl, but she knew what had to be done.

“Why don’t you come in Rachel?” She said stepping aside for Rachel to come in. Rachel shifted nervously.

“No thank-you I’d like to stand outside, can you please just tell me if something’s wrong.” Lauren sighed.

“Rachel, I’m sorry, I thought Finn would have explained to you. He told me he would write you a letter.” Rachel looked at her skeptically.

“Explain to me what?” Lauren sighed.

“Hold on.” She said before disappearing into the house. Lauren walked to the coffee table and picked up the fake letter, her hand was shaking as she did so, but she knew it was for the best.

She and Finn had almost identical handwriting, she was positive Rachel wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. She had worked carefully to match his handwriting. It was so wrong, but it had to be done.

She walked back outside to see Rachel shifting about.

“I’m sorry sweetie.” She was a good actress. Rachel looked up at her and she held out a letter. Rachel took it with shaky hands.

When she opened it, the contents of it broke her heart.

Dear Mom,

It’s been a while, and I miss you. Things are starting to look up for me down here. Blaine and I are doing better at training, and soon we’ll be working with the computers and taking classes. I don’t know where we’ll be transferred but I know it should be soon.

Anyways, one of the reasons why things have been getting good is because there’s this girl here. Her name is Marley. She’s amazing mom, she’s just, I can’t explain it. She gets me, she’s going through the same situation as me, and I guess, I’m kind of falling for her.

She has a boyfriend back home, but last night she admitted to having feelings for me, I’ve been feeling so down lately, when she told me that, my heart skipped I was ecstatic.

I don’t know why I feel this way, I guess it’s because we have so much in common and we’re in the same situation. I mean I was so sure I was in love with Rachel. I mean I still care for her a lot, she means a lot to me. She’s been there for me for so long, but Rachel and I could never connect the way I connect with Marley.