Dear Matt,

I'm sorry for leaving you again, I really am, but remember you're not alone. I never would have put my name in if I thought you'd be alone. You've got Hal- you'll always have Hal. I know that you already know, but he's a great brother, and he'd do anything to keep you safe.

But you've got to do something for him, okay?

You've got to keep yourself safe, too. No running headlong into the nearest skitter nest or into whatever dangerous things comes up next. Even though you're more mature than either Hal or me were when we were your age, you're still a kid and that's good. Being Hal's little brother can be a pretty cool gig.

You already know that, though. You figured it out way before I did, even though I had a big head start. (You're the smart one, really)

I know that you've gotta be feeling mad and sad and I can't imagine what else, but I've got some awesome advice that Dad told me a while ago to pass along, as older brothers should. You're gonna hate them, and I get that, but you can't let it eat you up. Otherwise they win, and nobody wants that. There's always hope, somewhere.

After all, now that we blew up their base on the moon, the aliens don't have a power source anymore, which means now everyone can fight back. Humanity has a better shot at taking the planet back now than we ever have. I know the skitters don't have a shot against you guys.

I have another important thing to tell you: I have a secret stash of chocolate under my bed. It's all yours. I was saving it up for your next birthday, anyway. Happy early birthday, by the way.

Most of all, I want you to know how much I love you. I was really nervous about being a big brother, when I found out that you were gonna be born. What if I was a terrible big brother? What if you hated me? What if you were smelly and gross? But you were the most exciting thing that ever happened. The best.

Our family got even better once you arrived. I don't think that you could ever appreciate how much better.

I really hope that I was able to let you know how important you are before now. I hope you know. Maybe none of this will make any sense until you're older (except the chocolate and how awesome Hal is), but hey, at least then I'll still be passing on something important to you in the years to come.

I know you'll grow up to be the very best kind of person. You already are.

-Ben