Dear Aaron(96)

His head bobbed in a nod. “Almost every Sunday. He worked a lot, but Sundays were our days, after church, to go do things as a family. When we’d go on summer vacation, we’d always go somewhere where we could fish.”

“That sounds nice.”

“Yeah. I still remember it. That’s the whole point about doing family things together. I remember most of them, especially after our mom left.” He’d been speaking so easily before he dropped the “M” word that I almost missed the way his entire body tensed up in reaction.

He’d rarely mentioned his mom before to me. I’d wondered what the deal with her was, but now that I knew, and now that I’d seen his reaction… I wished I hadn’t. It didn’t take a genius to know it was a sensitive spot for him.

And it also made a ton of sense how he’d react to my mom being overprotective and his views on marriage. My dad had left too, but he’d still been an active member of my life even afterward. I would never call my dad my “biological father” or anything like that. He was my dad, my father figure through thick and thin. I’d never doubted he loved me.

As much as I wanted to contemplate what he’d just said, I knew I only had a matter of time to change the subject and act like his mention was no big deal. He didn’t want to talk about it, and I understood. So I changed the subject. “Our family bonding time in my family was on Sunday with everyone cleaning the house. My mom would make us all chip in making dinner. Then we’d all sit around and watch a movie. Every Sunday. My brothers wouldn’t even bother asking to go out with their friends on that day because it didn’t matter if they were seventeen, that was family day for whoever was still living with her.”

He chuckled and it only sounded partially forced. “Does she still do that?”

I snorted and watched as he rolled his shoulders back, as if willing them to relax. “No. She stopped after she married husband number three. By that point, I was already a sophomore in high school, Jasmine had her ice-skating going on, and my brothers and Tali were older. But now, everyone still comes over at least once every other week for dinner at the same time or breakfast or whatever. I don’t actually know how they schedule that to make it work. I guess I never thought about it. They just show up.”

“Have you talked to any of them beside your mom since you got here?”

“No. I don’t bother them when they go somewhere without me. None of them have messaged me except my little sister. I’m a little worried Jasmine hasn’t sent me any more texts, but I’m hoping it’s just because she’s mad and my mom has been relaying my messages to her,” I explained. “Either that or she’s taken all my stuff and she’s being sneaky.” I smiled. “Have you talked to your dad?”

“No.” He slammed the tailgate closed and faced me. “He knows I’m here. I told you, we’re not all that close.”

That just sounded sad as hell to my ears. “Because of you going into the military?”

Aaron shrugged, and in this case, it didn’t seem to be an upset one. “We’ve always been like that. He’d… give and would do anything I needed financially, you know? The basics. More than the basics, I guess. He was there as much as he let himself. My dad doesn’t show a whole bunch of emotion. That’s just the way he is. He didn’t coddle or tuck us into bed every night or anything like that. He spent time with us. But after I told him I was going to enlist, things got strained between us.” I must have been making a face because Aaron winked. “It’s not that bad, Ruby. He loves me in his own way. He just wanted more from me.”

“I’m not trying to criticize him. Nobody’s parents are perfect. But it just makes me a little sad that you aren’t closer to him, is all. But… I don’t know. Everyone deserves hugs and to know that someone in the world still worries about them, no matter what they’re doing, or even if they’re mad at one another. I’d never do that to anyone.” I made sure to meet his gaze when I said, “You’re great the way you are, military or not. I’d be proud of you regardless of what you did with your life.”

The smile had gradually crept off Aaron’s face the longer I talked, and I started to worry I’d said something wrong. I’d overstepped my boundaries, hadn’t I?

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to criticize your family—”

“That’s not it,” he said almost cryptically, still standing there, watching me with that careful expression on his face. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and in three long strides he was standing in front of me, the hand not holding what he’d called our bait bucket, was cupping my cheek. As he pretty much towered over me, with his head tilted down, I could feel the hint of Aaron’s breath on my chin, just a little puff. Almost nonexistent like he was holding his breath.

Then his thumb moved, just a small swipe that might have only covered an inch of my cheekbone.

What was happening?

Something almost cool brushed across one small spot on my forehead the second before what was obviously his thumb made another tiny path over my skin.

Aaron had kissed me on the forehead.

I was na?ve but not that na?ve, and it confused the heck out of me.

But as quickly as he’d come to stand in front of me, he took a step back. His words were that soft, commanding thing he’d given me in the past. “All right, enough talking. Let me teach you what to do.”