14. Letter
Letter
Splash,
I get that people’s opinions of you may not be accurate.
Hell, I think if you asked anyone who knows me, they would say I’m the joker of the group, the guy who never takes anything seriously.
But for once, I would love to be taken seriously.
Especially by the man who keeps giving me whiplash with how much I look forward to his letters.
You have to tell me the story behind your name someday. Has it got anything to do with those adorable little ducks you draw at the bottom of your pages? Because if so, I need to know everything about the man who draws them.
Fuck, Splash… I couldn’t imagine disowning my child just because they wanted to enlist. I get the whole sense of family—that’s my team.
We are one unit, and we will always have each other’s backs.
To be honest, I’m not sure if I actually told you what I do for a living, but I play hockey.
Professionally. So my twenty-six-year-old body is completely battered and bruised as I write this on the bus to our next hotel.
If you look up the Tidal Teals, you’ll see my face plastered all over their roster.
You should probably check the photos, just in case you want to see who you’re flirting with.
I’d love to see the man behind these letters, to put a face to a name.
I didn’t tell you at first because people in my world expect me to be this tough, hyper-masculine jock.
So I wear a mask, and god do I wear the fuck out of the mask!
I play the team clown so the cameras don’t look too close.
When you asked what’s stopping me from finding the right person?
Honestly, fear. I’ve been screwed over so many times that I don’t think people actually want to know me for me.
I think they just want a particular lifestyle.
I just want to be seen, Splash. Truly seen.
And with you, even in an envelope, I feel like I am.
You feel like the first thing I can be honest about without the risk of breaking.
Do you think you’d be interested in sharing more than just letters someday? Maybe a cookie?
Keep your head down over there, Soldier. I’m holding the line on this side.
Jackson
PS — I’m still on a mission to find the absolute best cookies for you. These are still double chocolate, but they’re from a little bakery in Houston this time. Let me know which ones are better, and maybe one day I can deliver them in person.