"Hey, Sokka, did I get a letter?" Toph asked as she ran over from her tent with wide eyes. Sokka had just returned from getting their mail in the village.
"Uh, no, why? Were you expecting one?" He inquired. Her expression fell as she turned her back to walk away.
"It's nothing."
Toph passed Katara as she was walking back to her tent with her shoulders drooping and her head down. Katara immediately stopped, but before she could say anything Toph spoke up.
"It's nothing Katara, really." Katara, still concerned, continued to walk to over to Sokka while keeping an eye on her seemingly depressed friend. When she reached Sokka, he gave her the mail.
"Do you know whats wrong?" Katara asked her older brother.
"No, she came over perfectly fine, but when there was no mail for her she just got, I don't know, bummed."
"Huh." Katara quickly flipped through the mail and opened a couple letters from Aang writing about his trip with Zuko to reunite the world, before stopping at a specific letter. "Hey, what's this?" Katara held up a piece of parchment that looked as if it had been crumbled repeatedly before sent.
"I don't know." Sokka shrugged, "It came with everything else, but it doesn't have anyone's name on it, just that heart."
Katara put the note in her pocket before she walked over to Toph's tent. It was apparent to her that something was wrong with the young earthbender and Katara was all ears. As she was about to knock on the rock door Toph sets up for privacy, it comes crashing down.
"What do you want Katara?" Toph's back was leaning against the back of her tent-like fort and her hand was lightly gracing her cheek.
"I was hoping we could talk." Toph quickly removed her hand from her face and sat up.
"'Bout what?"
"Well, you, and how you're feeling." Katara tried to gently ease into the conversation that she knew Toph didn't want to have.
"You want me to talk about my feelings?" Toph snorted, "I don't know if you've realized this, but I don't do that."
"Toph..." Katara tried again.
"Stop! I'm not going go on about my feelings just cause he didn't write!" Toph yelled at Katara before immediately clamping her hands over her mouth. She tried to turn her head, but Katara could see the tears gathering at the corner of her eyes.
"Oh, Toph..." Katara sat next to the earth bender and wrapped her arms around her shoulders, allowing the young girl to cry. Once Toph had stopped crying she sat up.
"It was Ohev, you know." Toph confessed.
"You mean the boy from the group of nomads?"
"Yeah, he said he'd write me after this whole thing was over."
"Awwww!" Katara cooed before taking out the letter she had taken from Sokka, "I guess this is for you then." She placed the letter in a very wide-eyed Toph's hands.
Without saying anything Toph opened the letter and felt the paper over her hands before handing it back to Katara.
"Do you think you could read this to me?" She asked.
"Of course Toph." She took the letter in her hands and began to read.
Dear Toph
Sorry, it's taken me so long to write, but it's been hard to keep up with news while traveling. I just heard the war was over about a week ago! Right away I went back to Gaoling to see if you moved back in with your parents, but they told me that even though you had forgiven them you decided you wanted to stick with the Gaang (that's the name I coined for you guys). I asked if they knew where you were and this is where they said so I hope this gets to you. I really miss you. I still have that rock you gave me. Some peddler tried to buy it off my for a silver piece, but I told him to go suck an egg. If this gets to you I really hope you write back. Maybe we can catch up again and I can play you a song I wrote. The other nomads don't sing it because they think it's too personalized, but I don't care. It was supposed to be for you anyway. I miss you, oh, I already said that didn't I?
Love
Yours,
Ohev.
As Katara folded the letter closed she looked up to see tears at the corners of Toph's eyes, but this time joined with a smile.
"Katara?"
"Yeah Toph?"
"Thanks."
