Dear Rose,

So much has happened since my last letter. Where to start? We are still in the fishing village that I was writing you about. Things were quiet for quite a while…that is until last night. I was just finishing off my nightly patrol when I came across the pregnant girl that Tommy and Fabri and I had saved. She begged me to follow her. I was reluctant at first, but then I remembered how she had been harassed and thought that perhaps something had gone too far and she needed help, so I followed her to what looked to be an alleyway, near the outskirts of the village. I could not believe what or rather who I had found, Rose! You probably won't believe it either! It was a viet cong soldier, my age if not older. He was unconscious and seemed to be injured. I should have gotten my superior, but...something stopped me. I can't explain it. Maybe it was because he was my age. The woman, she placed a hand on her belly then pointed to the guy and said something in her language. I didn't understand her words, but from how she held her hand and pointed at the soldier, I assumed that she was telling me that he was her baby's father. He had most likely gotten injured and made his way back home to his family.

I knew I should have gotten my superior...but I couldn't. I kept thinking about you. What if you were the pregnant girl and I was injured. The first thing I'd want is for someone to help bring me back to you and our child, whether I was the enemy or not. So I told her to stay where she was and I went to get Fabrizio and Tommy, knowing that they would help and keep this quiet. There's no one here that I trust more than those two.

Tommy was so livid. He kept harping about how what we were doing was against the rules. That we could get in trouble. That this soldier should be in a prisoner of war, but he helped anyway. Fabrizio was more like me. He thought it wouldn't be right to place the man in prison when all he was trying to do was go back to his family to heal. So the three of us managed to get the soldier to the girl's home, which wasn't too far away, thank goodness. Fabrizio went and got some medical supplies and we managed to fix the guy up some. I told the girl that I'd send that village's doctor to see about the soldier as soon as we could and tried to convey how important it was to keep everything secret. Not just for us...but for her soldier as well.

I can't regret helping them, Rose. When I looked at them, I saw us. Her soldier wanted to make it home to her and their child, just like I want to make my way home to you. And I will. That is a promise that I am determined to keep.

Love Jack

Rose sighed as she folded the letter. It was the last letter that she had received from Jack for the past few months. She had no idea what was going on with him right now, and it was driving her crazy. She couldn't sleep, she could barely eat. The only thing that kept her going was their growing baby in her belly. It was the only thing she had to hold onto now, besides this last letter, telling of a heroic deed her husband had performed. If only there was a way for her to get there...to talk to the girl and question her...find some clue about Jack's where abouts and whether he was still alive, or dead.

It was her day off and her only plan for the day was to relax with a book and continue to work on the baby blanket she was in midst of knitting. Knitting was one of the hobbies her mother had insisted on her taking up. At first, she had fought it, but now, on her days off, she found the hobby quite useful in keeping her hands busy and her mind from dwelling on Jack's lack of letters too much. It was probably the only thing she was grateful to her mother for teaching her.

Putting the letter back into her desk drawer where she kept all of his letters, Rose went into the kitchen, ready to put herself on a pot of tea when there was a knock at the door. Who could that be? She wasn't expecting anyone. She never invited any of her coworkers over and she hadn't made any new friends that weren't involved with the diner.

Then she froze, it suddenly hitting her on who the visitor could be. She had seen a few of her neighbors getting visits from men in military uniforms, a letter in hand. Then she heard the wails of despair and the men mumbling that they were sorry for the recipient's loss. Could it be her turn? On the other side of the door, could there be a uniformed man, ready to hand her one of those dreaded notices?

Her legs felt weak and unsteady, but she forced her way to the door, trying to keep her mind clear of all assumptions. She didn't want to think about who was on the other side. She did not want condolences and the knowledge that her new life was over before it had even begun. She wanted to ignore the knocking, but something wouldn't let her. So she went to the door and opened it, expecting to see a uniformed soldier with the news that her Jack was gone.

Instead, she came face to face with her mother.

Rose at first felt relief. It wasn't a soldier bearing bad news, which meant that for now, as far as she knew, Jack was still alive. He'll still be coming home. Then the relief left and apprehension filled her. How did her mother find her? Why was she here? Hopefully not to have her courted off to some insane asylum.

"Mother?" Rose stared, contemplating slamming the door in her mother's face. After all, she really had nothing to say to her after all of this time.

"Well, don't just stand there gawking at me, Rose. Let me in!" Ruth huffed, not appreciating Rose's reaction at all. The girl had a lot of explaining to do!

"Why are you here? How did you find me?"

"Private investigator. It took a while, but I finally obtained the information I needed to find out where you had disappeared off to! Living alone in this...place...working as a waitress in that...cafe. I've been there, Rose! It's almost as bad as Molly's for goodness sake!"

Rose couldn't help but roll her eyes. Her mother's reaction to her life did not surprise her in the least. She just wished that the woman would leave her alone since she found her choice in lifestyles so awful. "Why are you even bothering, mother? I don't want to see you and you've made it loud and clear that you don't approve of my choices. You should have stayed where you were."

"I'm here to see my daughter and try to talk some sense into her! I mean, my goodness! Look at you, you look a fright! Now if you had married Cal like we planned…"

"Oh my god, I hated Cal! I did not want to marry him! I've told you this again and again and you refuse to accept that! Then wanting to send me away to a mental hospital because I called off the engagement and actually married the man I love…"

"Well where is that man now, Rose? I don't see him here, despite your condition…"

"He's in Vietnam. Unlike Cal, he had no way out of it and had to go. You know this...not that you care."

Ruth sighed, her cold eyes flashing with annoyance. Really, she didn't know why she was even bothering with her foolish daughter, but something inside her just wouldn't leave it alone. Despite everything, she loved her daughter and wanted to have some part in her life, even though she did not agree with it at all. "Will you please let me in, Rose. It is awkward out here and I rather the neighbors not hear our conversation."

Rose was tempted to refuse her mother entrance. She wanted to just close the door and go back to pretending that she didn't even have a mother, but she was also curious. What could this woman possibly have to say that she would want to hear? She did have a point though. It wouldn't due for any of her neighbors to hear the conversation. So with a sigh, she stepped back.

"Okay, mother. Come in and say what you have to say, but if it's something inappropriate or offensive, I will throw you right back out. Do I make myself clear?"

Ruth pursed her lips before giving a small nod. "I understand. Thank you."

Rose closed the door once Ruth was inside and motioned for her to take a seat on the couch while she sat on the loveseat opposite her. "I would offer some coffee or tea, but I'm out."

"That is fine, I guess. I'm not particularly thirsty."

"So...why are you here, mother?"

Ruth looked around the room, taking everything in. This was not what she had wanted for her daughter at all! Rose should have been living in a fancy mansion right now, surrounded by luxury! She should have people to wait on her hand and foot instead of being forced to work, especially in her delicate condition! She could have had it all, if only she had cooperated! Instead, here she was in this meager apartment living a meager assistance with the father of her child off to war!

"I am here to...well...I don't know. See how you are doing, I suppose."

"So you were curious?" Rose frowned.

"Well, of course I am curious Rose! After all, you had completely gone against all my carefully laid out plans! You had dumped Cal, ran off and got married and never returned!"

"Well, I would have if you hadn't been planning to ship me off to a mental hospital!"

Ruth sat back and huffed. "Can you blame me? You had a wonderful life before you and you had thrown it away! Of course I thought that you would need mental help!"

"I didn't need mental help, mother. I just needed for you to leave me alone and let me live my own life!"

"Your own….oooh, I so cannot wait until your child reaches your age. Then you will understand why I tried to take care of you the way I did."

"I did not need for you to take care of me."

"I beg to differ. Especially now that you are with child! Really, Rose. You cannot believe that you can do this on your own!"

"I've been doing just fine before you showed up on my doorstep," Rose looked away, refusing to admit that maybe she did need some help. She could move around fine now, but in a few months or so...things will be quite different. But she didn't want to admit that to her mother.

"You won't be when your belly gets bigger. You are going to need help. Help that you would have had if you had married Cal like planned."

"I didn't love Cal. When will you understand that? I couldn't marry someone I did not love!"

"But you love this boy that's gone off to war?"

"Yes. Yes, I do and he loves me. Not only that, but he respects me and sees me as a person. Cal never did that. Heck, he didn't even love me, not really. If he had, he would have wanted to see me happy, whether it was with him or someone else."

Ruth sighed, resigning herself to what was now her daughter's life. There was no use in fighting it any more. Besides, Cal was gone now. He had gotten engaged to the Collins girl, another rich family that Ruth was familiar with. Ruth was a little bitter over it. It hadn't taken Cal that long to get over her daughter, so perhaps Rose was right after all.

"Well, I guess there is nothing I can say or do. This is your life now. We both have to live with it."

"I have to live with it. Why did you come, mother? It has to be more than to satisfy your curiosity."

"Well...I just wanted to check up on you. Make sure that you're okay. After all, I am still your mother, whether you like it or not. What kind of mother would I be if I didn't take time to check on my daughter? I don't agree with your choices, but I still love you. I didn't spend all that time taking care of you just to abandon you when you do things I don't agree with. No matter what you may think of me. I'm not that heartless."

Rose blinked, taken aback by Ruth's words. She had thought for sure that any love her mother may have held for her would disappear when she finally took control of her own life and did what she wanted instead of following her mother's instructions. She had only one question though. "The men in white coats that Molly told me about, mother. If you love me like you said you do...why did you and Cal show up at Molly's ready to have me committed?"

Ruth looked away, her own cheeks burning red with embarrassment. "I was so livid with you at that time and so at a loss on what to do about you next. I thought for sure that you had left all of your senses. All my begging and pleading had fallen on deaf ears, so when Cal talked about sending you to Floral Corners…well it seemed like the right thing to do. I thought that maybe some quiet time away from it all would give your some time to properly think about your actions…"

"Mother, don't you think I had properly thought over everything? Weighed the pros and cons of what I was doing? Didn't you consider that I was in my right mind and knew very well what I was doing? That I knew what I wanted?"

Ruth just shook her head, embarrassed by her actions. "I just saw my young naive daughter throwing her life away without a second thought. I was trying so hard to do right by you, Rose. I really was and you were foiling my efforts at every turn…"

Rose looked down at her hands, which rested against her belly, her mind going to the child growing within. She did not agree with her mother's actions, but when she thought of her baby and the need to do any and everything to make sure that it was okay, that it'll live a happy life...in a way she could understand her mother's motivations, no matter how much she disagreed with her actions. If she saw her child doing something she thought was harmful, she would do any and everything to stop it, even if that child protested her actions as well. She didn't agree with her mother, but perhaps she could lend her some grace, especially now that she was about to become a mother herself.

"Are you happy, Rose? Is this really the life you want?" Ruth asked, bring her daughter out of her own thoughts.

Rose didn't even have to hesitate. "Yes, I am happy and this is the life I want. I mean, I would prefer if Jack was with me and not in Vietnam, but besides that, I am very happy. I'm happy, loved, and I'm looking forward to our family. I'm sorry if that's not what you wanted to hear, but…"

"It is. It is what I want to hear. It may not be what I had planned you...he may not be a well off gentleman like Cal, but...I do want you to be happy."

Rose couldn't help but to be surprised by this acceptance from her mother. It had been the last thing she had expected, but she was happy for it. Despite their differences, she did love her mother and it made her feel better to know that Ruth would no longer fight her on the subject of her life with Jack. Maybe there was some hope for them after all.

"I am happy to hear you say this, mother. Really. Maybe...maybe we can heal our relationship in enough time for you to be a real grandmother to this child now."

Ruth's smile was small and for seemingly the first time warm. It was like something frozen inside her was melting. "I'd like that very much."

Dear Jack,

I don't know if you'll even get to read this letter, since I haven't heard from you in so long, but I had to write to you about this new development. My mother came by today and we actually had a civil conversation. We came to a understanding of sorts. She accepts the way my life is now, Jack. She accepts that I love you and not Cal and that my life is my own.

She smiled today and for the first time, there was actual warmth there, especially when I brought up her being a real grandmother to our child. I feel good about this, Jack. I really do.

She has decided to rent a house here in Santa Monica. She is talking about having me move in with her until you come back or at least until the baby comes. I don't know if I should accept, but it is tempting. I have to admit, it is so lonely without you Jack...especially since I haven't heard from you in so long…

Where are you, Jack? Are you safe? Are you...are you even still alive? I dread that there will be a notice for me declaring your death. I hope that never happens. You have to come back to us, Jack!

I hope this letter gets to you and you can finally write back to me…

I love you Jack. Both me and our child are awaiting your return.

Love Rose