Hi Aaron, It’s Ruby, your “adopter” from Houston.

I hope you’re doing well. I’ll spare you from jokes this letter just in case you didn’t appreciate the one last week. So more questions! Again!

Pretzels or chips?

Summer sports or winter sports?

Dogs or cats?

Hope all is well.

Best wishes, Ruby Santos

July 12, 2008

Dear Aaron, It’s Ruby, your HaS pairing/the broken record.

I really hope you’re doing fine. I still haven’t heard from you through e-mail or by letter, but I hope my messages are coming through some way.

I’ll answer the questions I asked you last week.

Pretzels or chips: Chips, preferably Fritos.

Summer sports or winter sports: Winter sports.

Dogs or cats: Both, but mini pigs trump dogs and cats.

Hope you’re hanging in there.

All the best, Ruby Santos

July 19, 2008

Hi Aaron, It’s Ruby. Sending a postcard this week to spice it up. I’m in Orlando with my family (see: the Mickey Mouse on the other side.) Hopefully Mickey makes you smile as much as he makes me smile.

-Ruby S.

July 26, 2008

Dear Aaron, It’s Ruby. I’m back home in Houston. If you’re curious, my vacation went great. I even got a pretty serious tan. That was my sixth time going to Orlando with my family, and it never gets old.

I have some more questions for you:

Have you ever been to Orlando/Disney?

Apples or oranges?

Cake or pie?

Best wishes, Ruby

Chapter 3

August

August 2, 2008

Dear Aaron, I hope you’re doing okay. I contacted the Help a Soldier foundation to make sure you’re fine and to double-check the address/e-mail I have for you since I haven’t gotten a response. Hopefully I’m only overreacting. I know I’ve told you I’ve done this before, but every other soldier has always reached out to me at least through e-mail once a month (not that I’m putting pressure on you, I just want to make sure I have all the right information and I’m not sending things to the wrong person or address).

I just realized how clingy that sounds, but I don’t mean it in that way.

I hope you’re fine, and I’ll leave you with another joke since I spared you from one last month.

A group of soldiers were standing at formation when their instructor said, “All right, all you dummies fall out.”

Only one man in the squad stayed at attention while the rest wandered off.

The instructor walked over to the soldier who hadn’t left and met him eye to eye. The soldier smiled and said, “Sure was a lot of them, huh, sir?”

Best wishes, -Ruby Santos

August 9, 2008

Dear Aaron, I decided to switch it up this week again and send you something different. The picture I’ve sent along is one of my favorites in the whole world. I bought it when I was eighteen. My sister took me with her to Iceland for her college graduation present and I found the print at a little store. I bought three copies and gave one to my best friend. Sometimes when I have a bad day, it’s nice to remind myself that the world is a lot bigger than I am and whatever crap I have going on in my life, and the Aurora Borealis has that effect on me. Isn’t it beautiful?

Hope you’re doing well.

All the best, Ruby

P.S. I still haven’t heard back from the foundation.

August 19, 2008

Aaron, The Help a Soldier foundation got back to me a few days ago, and they said they confirmed that you’re still deployed and that they provided the correct information to reach you.

I’ve thought it over and maybe we didn’t hit it off, or I did/wrote something wrong, and that’s okay. This will be my last letter/e-mail to you. They’re going to switch me out with someone else in the foundation, so you should continue getting mail on time.

My brother was a marine, and I joined this program because he told me how lonely and bored soldiers get when they’re overseas. It’s easy for me to forget that not everyone has a big, overwhelming family like mine. Writing back and forth while he (my brother) was in Iraq made us really close. Loneliness even when you’re surrounded by others is something I understand well.

I’m wishing you the best while you’re stationed somewhere in the world. Thank you for your sacrifice and bravery. Take care.

Best wishes always, -Ruby Santos

From: [email protected]

Date: August 24, 2008 1:08 p.m.

To: [email protected]

Subject: RE: Help a Soldier

Ruby, This is Aaron with Help a Soldier.

All your letters and e-mails have come through… sorry for taking so long to reach out.

-A

From: [email protected]

Date: August 28, 2008 1:46 p.m.

To: [email protected]

Subject: RE: RE: Help a Soldier

Ruby, This is Aaron again. Haven’t heard back from you… Can we start over?