"All right class, settle down".
Elizabeth Thornton held the projector controller in her right hand and flicked the lights on and off with the other.
"Today, we are starting a new class project. Now, as you all know there are a lot of brave men and women that serve in the armed forces and work very hard to protect our country. There is a group of soldiers that have volunteered to work with our school and be a pen-pal. Who knows what a pen-pal is"?
Ten excited children raised their hands and voices. Eliza chuckled and shook her head.
"Alright. This is going to be a class project. This means that each class will be assigned one soldier. For your first letter I want you to include a Christmas card, which I will provide for you, and a poem telling our soldier what Christmas means to you. Any questions"?
Elizabeth scanned her children, none of whom had raised a hand.
"Now remember to keep your letters short and simple. Now, if you don't have any questions, let's begin".
Elizabeth hit a button on the remote and a picture of the classes soldier appeared. He was a trim man, in his early to mid-thirties with black hair and a gentle smile. All the girls in the class ooh'd and aah'd at the sight of the handsome soldier in his fatigues.
"This is our soldier, Captain Nathaniel Grant".
One girl, Emily, raised her hand and blurted out, "he looks like Sergeant Thornton, just not as pretty".
Elizabeth giggled at the bluntness of her student.
"Yes Emily, Captain Grant is very handsome, but what I want you all to do now is pay attention. Captain Grant has a niece named Allie who is one grade ahead of you. He has been serving in Iraq for a little over ten years now and this is supposed to be his last tour of duty before coming home".
Elizabeth thought back to her and Nathan's initial correspondence a couple weeks back. She had wanted to make sure that her class would be corresponding with an upstanding man, one who would respect the integrity of a relationship with a class of children. It had started that way, at least, but it eventually evolved into a conversation like old friends would have, and it annoyed and unsettled her. She knew it was ridiculous, her heart belonged to Jack, and her relationship with Nathan was purely platonic, Nathan himself had been very clear that he wasn't in the market of relationships. But she couldn't help missing Jack. He had been off the grid for two months now, and talking with Nathan, a soldier like her husband, with so many similar traits that sometimes she forgot who she was talking to. That's what unsettled her. She was playing a dangerous game, if it could be called that, and she had made the decision to drop out. But, still, she missed her friend.
"Alright kids, let's begin writing a rough draft of your poem before finalizing them".
With jubilant eagerness the children pulled out their notebooks and began writing.
"Elizabeth", an excited voice called from the empty hall, "guess what". Following the voice was a very excitable blonde named Rosemary LaVoux, the drama teacher of Coal Valley Elementary, Elizabeth's best friend, and Jack's oldest friend from home.
"What is it now Rosemary", Elizabeth quipped, "did more talent scouts come by to kidnap you"?
"Oh don't be so dramatic Elizabeth," Rosemary said, tagging Elizabeth lightly on the arm, "that's my job. No, Lee emailed me last night. He and Jack are on their way home".
Elizabeth dropped the bundle of Christmas cards and letters she was holding and held her hands to her mouth. She very nearly screamed.
"Are you sure"?
In response, Rosemary opened up her phone and showed Elizabeth a video of A very jubilant Jack Thornton and Leland Coulter shouting excitedly and proclaiming that they were, indeed, headed home.
Dear Elizabeth, how is room 12? My time of tour has been prolonged, for how long I don't know, but I am proud to serve. I hope Allie is behaving herself, and thank you so much for looking out for her, I'm sure you understand how much it means for her to have a maternal figure in her life to guide her. This will be my last letter to you for the foreseeable future. Be safe and take care.Nathan
Nathan sent the short email and closed his laptop. He was proud of himself. He hated how attached he felt to her, another man's wife no less. This was for the best. He just wished he could believe it.
Elizabeth stared in terror as she and Rosemary watched as the transport plane carrying their husbands and many, many more soldiers lay briken and on fire in a grassy field. She and Rosemary clung to get each other in the waiting area, silently praying that Jack and Lee were alright. Five hours later, at the Thornton home, a sildier in army dress onocked on the door, holding a somber expression and a set of dog-tags. Elizabeth broke and sobbed as she clutched the twisted pieces of metal in her hands. Jack was gone.