Humanity of the Broken [ Band of Brothers ] 2

FIFTY-TWO

October 8, 1945

Everything had passed in a whirlwind after V-J Day. The world had rejoiced, lauding the triumphs of the men in the Pacific and in Europe. For Easy Company, though, it had been a whirlwind of emotions as much as activity.

The company started breaking up almost immediately. Slowly but surely, they ended up in England, though. The officers went together, arriving in early October along with a group of the enlisted from Toccoa. Many of them had been discharged, or their discharges were pending. They just needed a ship to take them home.

On the night of the 8th, the remaining members of Easy had decided to get together in a pub. Most of the last few enlisted would be leaving on a ship tomorrow, back home to New York. The officers would be going soon after.

As Nix sat at the desk in the hotel room he'd taken over with Alice, he sighed. She was still asleep behind him, covered by a white comforter and out like a light. He could see the sheets moving up and down with each slow, even breath she took. It calmed him down. He watched her for a bit, how absolutely peaceful she looked. It distracted him from the reason for his anxiety: the letters sitting on his desk.

He swiveled back around. One definitely came from Blanche. He knew her handwriting immediately; absolutely impeccable script. The other came from his father by the looks of it. Script also, but more scratchy, a bit rough probably from alcohol. Nix had worked on toning back the drinking, at least a bit, since V-E Day. Every time he thought about drinking away all his sorrows, he thought of his father, and then Alice, and knew he wouldn't do that to her.

Nix grabbed the one from his father first. A mixture of anger and anxiety filled him, causing his muscles to tense. An overwhelming desire to take a drink took over. But at the shaking cursive from his father, he resisted.

Taking his pocket knife out, he cut open the letter. He took care to remove the couple of pages. He set the knife down. Nix flipped up the front of the letter and began to read.

Most of what his father said he'd expected. A lot about disgracing the family with his divorce, deserving to be cut off, the betrayal of falling in love with someone else. He ranted about Alice being German, their enemies. Nix would've been furious over that if he hadn't found it so incredibly stupid, and expected. Stanhope went on about still being expected to carry on the family business, about how he'd not stand for this 'broad' keeping him from his duties as a Nixon. He included quite a bit of profanity, a slur or two, and ended with a threat to cut Nix off if he didn't come home and start working at the business.

Nix shook his head and placed the letter back in the envelope. It had been everything he'd expected, nothing more and nothing less. After a few moments of stewing in growing anger, he turned to Blanche's letter. This one he cared much more about.

Dear Lew,

I'm glad to hear from you. We were all very happy when the Japanese surrendered, if only because it meant you were coming home. A lot has happened since I last got word to you, but I suppose I should respond to your news first.

I must admit, I'm surprised to hear about this girl. Everything you said about her is strange. The fact that you served with her alone, I find odd. But then, she also sounds like someone I should very much like to meet, not least of all because you fell in love with her.

Mom took your news better than I expected, to be honest. I think she's gotten so tired of you being unhappy. We all knew it. I don't blame Katherine. She wasn't happy either. And I suppose that by asking for the divorce, she allowed you to fall in love for real this time. We owe her that much. Mom was quite surprised of course. I think she was more surprised about who you fell in love with than the fact that you fell in love at all, though. I think she was surprised that someone like Alice even exists!