You wake up from a restful slumber, only to be reminded by the lack of presence under the covers by your side. The man who occupies the other end of your bed is no longer there, leaving you alone.

It has been twenty days since his deployment.

A letter finds its way in your mailbox on the twentieth day of Nolan’s departure. You slip out of your front door to check the mail, grabbing each letter and eagerly striding back inside.

You run your fingers across each letter, flicking through them until you see a particularly neatly written name on an envelope. You trace each letter with your eyes, as if you’re trying to see him right in front of you.

You open the envelope and unfold the letter, words covering almost every bit of the pale paper sheet. You start reading, feeling closer to him with each syllable you read.

’To my dearest girl.

Words cannot describe how much I miss you.’

In small writing, he talks about his experience so far being deployed. He talks about the food and his bunkies, but all topics circle back to him reminding you how much your lack of presence affects him.

The words reach the bottom of the page, his last lines reading;

’With much love, Nolan.’