Thirty-One Letters

Epilogue

In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on—Robert Frost

"Hey, McAlister! There's one here for you."

Ty looked up just as Lucas threw a large envelope at him. They were friends, going through basic training together. Lucas reminded Ty of a little kid sometimes. Not in a bad way. More in the sense that he found everything funny and there was always a smile to be found on Lucas' face.

Ty caught the envelope like a frisbee, one handed, grinning at his bunkmate. "Thanks."

"Anytime." Lucas collapsed onto his bed, folding his hands behind his head, crossing his legs, and closed his eyes. Within seconds, he was asleep.

Ty had been at Camp Pendleton for only a few weeks, undergoing basic training. It was hard, demanding work, but he liked the structure and the way that his days were filled. Even more, he liked that he was no longer living with his parents. Sure, there were still people yelling at him but at least now he felt as if he had a sense of purpose – like there was something he was working towards.

What Ty didn't like how he was away from Penn. He worried about his younger brother when he wasn't around. Sure, Penn was old enough to fend for himself in some regards but Ty was his big brother. He'd always worry about him.

And then, of course, there was Hadley.

He missed her so much that some days he felt like he could hardly breathe. Ty had understood how much she'd come to mean to him in the few months that they had known each other but he had never really appreciated it. Yet there was something so special about having someone know you, really know you.

They had become that for each other. A friend, a confident, a teammate, and a lover. He had fought for her, every day, to keep her from falling into a dark pit and she, whether she knew it or not, had done the same for him.

The world before Hadley had been a dark, gray place. There was no colour and Ty had walked through each day only attempting to survive it. To make it through and find...Find whether there really was a light at the end of that long tunnel or if he were just doomed for that half-existence where nothing truly felt right.

And then Hadley had come barreling into his life and with that first kiss everything had changed. Even then he'd known. The world was brighter, the weight on his shoulders seemed lighter. From that moment, Ty had belonged to her entirely.

It was why, when he glanced at the familiar scrawl on the front of the large envelope, that his grin softened as he flipped the letter over. It was surprisingly heavy and curiosity overcame him as he tore it open. He upturned the contents and a small pile of sand poured out to land on his bed. It was quickly followed by two smaller envelopes, one of which had his name on it. He reached for that one first and ripped it open.

Ty,

I did it. I finished the challenges. It was harder to do the last few alone but I'm also glad that I did. I feel closer to Tanner now than I have in months. Maybe even years. I think I have you to thank in part for that. I don't know that I would have been able to finish all of these without you so thanks for sticking by my side.

I'm going to keep going to therapy for the rest of the year. I mean, Phil is nuts and an idiot but I think he actually does care about us. And I think I would miss the others if I stopped going. Maybe I don't need it as much as I used to but maybe I still need them.

In a surprise twist, it turns out that there were only 30 challenges for me to complete. The 31st letter belongs to you. I haven't read it. I don't think my brother wanted me to. I hope you will.