The Soldier of Stars [1] - Band of Brothers

72 | hands

" May your hands be an extension of your heart and may you do the work of love with them."

- Aja Monet

✰✰✰

Hazel was sitting outside her foxhole, staring at the sky. She couldn't sleep, so she stared at the stars, like back on D-Day, at night of her first night in combat. Shifty had fallen asleep, but she couldn't. She envisioned she was home, under the stars with the Christmas tree lit up inside, as she sat on the porch with her mug of hot chocolate. 

She missed that. 

The snow she felt numb to as she lied there in it, she didn't even feel it anymore, even though she was freezing more than normal. She heard the Germans and their beautiful, blissful singing. It was so peaceful in a time like now. She wished she could lay here forever, just listening to them sing. Their raw, pained voices singing the tune. 

However, she got a sense of loneliness as she lay there, reminding her of the Christmas her father left the family. She still had his letter in her pocket. She sat up and pulled it from the flap and looked at the letter. 

It was her father. 

She knew she should answer him again, but she felt she couldn't. She couldn't bring herself to talking to him after what he did and decided to do. 

That is no father with a family. 

If he couldn't take the Depression, even though he had a caring family, she knew he couldn't handle her in this war. He even stated it. Her mother had been so strong through it all though and she had admired her mother for that. She put on a brave face for her daughter and worked for meals and clothing and keeping a roof on her head and house warm. She had found strength deep inside her and admired it a lot. 

Hazel looked at the letter from her dad again. She shoved it away rather angrily and shut her eyes, trying not to think about it. She then pulled out her mother's most recent letter. Vest had come around with letters that afternoon but Hazel had wanted to open it alone. Hazel finally open the letter.

Hazel,

I hope by the time you receive this that it is Christmas for you. But I know this is not the Christmas you wanted. I read the paper recently and saw about the recent movements, it's been called the Battle of the Bulge. I'm sorry you're involved now, but with your friends that you have and the strength you all carry together, I know you'll make it through. You're strong, Hazel. Incredibly strong and even though it is a quiet strength, you've always shown your strength in your own way and I adore that about you. I know you just might've gotten another letter from me, but I wanted one for you for Christmas. How are the girls, Catherine and Lizzie? Are they safe? How are their families? I might've never met them, but they sound like sisters to you and daughters to me. How about Joe? You always wrote such lovely things about him. Or what about Shifty Powers? He seemed to be someone you brought up.