Bradin stood in the surf shop trying to fix a stand of surf boards. Jay was at the desk doing inventory papers.

"Hello boys," Ava said walking in, "I brought you guys lunch."

"Thanks, Ava," Jay said taking his bag, "Bradin! Take lunch!"

Bradin placed a surf board against the wall and took his bag from his aunt. He kissed her cheek and said, "Thanks, Aunt Ava."

"You're welcome, sweetie. How are you doing?"

He shrugged. "Why wouldn't I be okay?" he asked her.

"We know what you feel for Katie," Jay said making Bradin look at him, "We want to make sure you won't get hurt again."

"Katie and I are just going to be friends," Bradin told the two adults, "We talked about it yesterday and we both agreed we should just stay friends after all we've gone through. Can you two tell me about her before she left?"

Ava sighed and looked at Jay. She looked back at her nephew.

"She was a well known girl in town. People hated her. People loved her. She was a unique girl. She was very athletic and loved every sport that she played. Everyone thought she was perfect until she said she would join the Army."

"What was her life like?" Bradin asked.

"She always acted as if were amazing," Jay told Bradin, "She never cried in public. You would always see her with a smile on her face."

"No one knew her life except her and her family?"

"Mostly," Jay said.

Bradin looked outside and saw many people walking pass the shop. He looked at the smoothie shop and saw Katie sitting at a table writing with a smoothie in front of her.

"I'm going to eat outside," he said as he took his lunch bag and walked out. He walked to the smoothie shop and up to Katie. "Hey," he said.

She looked up from writing and smiled. "Hi."

"Mind if I join you for a bit?" he asked.

"Go head," she said.

She watched as he sat down and placed a bag on the table. "My aunt made me lunch. She brought it in to the surf shop just a few minutes ago."

"And, you left, why?"

"1. It's my lunch break for half an hour. 2. You looked lonely by yourself. What are you doing?"

She sighed. "I'm writing letters to the families of the people I worked and trained with overseas. I want to tell the families how sorry I am for their loss and how I wish I could change it because their children were amazing."

"Doesn't it hurt to write about it?" he asked.

"More than you know it. I wrote one last night and cried for hours until I was asleep. But, this is the person I am. I want their families to know what happened and why their children joined the Army in the first place. I also want to tell them how their children acted over in the war."

Bradin smiled. "That's nice of you."

She nodded. "They deserve to know what really happened."

"Do you want to hang out later?" he asked. "I get off at six and at my house, it's take out for dinner."

"I'll leave a message on your cell phone. I have to see what I'm up to later."

"That's no problem."