Soldier Jamie was only thinking about his wife and daughter for almost the entire two years that he was gone. It was a regret that broke his heart. He missed the years of her childhood. He understands, but it is his duty to protect his nation. It would not have been the reunion that he had hoped for.
When he finally held his daughter again, Jamie’s daughter told him that he must come and meet her “new dad”. When Jamie found out who it was, his world fell apart. Who was Lauren’s “new dad”? Jamie’s wife had betrayed Jamie, or was there something else going on?
Back to Iraq
Jamie received weekly letters from his friends and family while he was in Iraq. If he was fortunate, his daughter would send him a drawing. He had a lot of drawings in the locker inside his tent, but he was surprised to receive one. As she always does, his daughter drew her and her mom: her in her pink sweater of choice and her with large earrings. She even included a dog in her drawing.
Jamie was shocked. He was expecting to see a canine, but instead saw a man who looked completely different. He was perplexed and confused. He didn’t know what was happening. He tried to understand the situation by looking around. He saw that the man was wearing the same clothing he wore when he first left his house. He wore the same shoes. He wondered if somehow he’d been transformed into the other person. As he pondered the possibilities, a chill ran down his spine.
Don’t think it over.
Jamie did not think much about it. It was his training to be emotionally detached when necessary that left him with no doubt. Before going to work, he quickly read through his other letters. He also hung the drawing of his young daughter. He’d been away from his family for some time and was missing them more and more every day. He remembered his daughter’s smile and how his wife’s face lit up when she saw her. He wished that he was there, but knew he needed to focus on his work.
He had no idea, while he worked, what was going on with his family at home. He wondered if the wife and daughter were still doing housework, and if their daughter was still making pictures. He thought about all the things that he missed, such as the everyday moments. He wanted to be there for those precious moments but knew that he needed to focus on his work.
