backstory; Odette's part
On a dresser, Hayden keeps a shoebox filled to the brim with envelopes and letters.
They have no address, only a name scrawled across the white background in lovely handwriting (even though she thinks otherwise). When her little boy asks what is it that she's going to do with all those notes, she pauses in the middle of her handicraft or task and thinks about it, even when those wide eyes already know the answer.
'One day I'll give them all to who they're for, and you can come with me.' At the response he lights up and nods before running off through the apartment, not catching the bittersweet tone she holds as he turns away. When she knows both of the men in her life aren't around, she walks to that spot in the bedroom and sets the box in her lap.
She sorts the pile of letters and stamps, the notes she got halfway through but forgot to finish with dotted i's and crossed t's.
December 13. Christmas is coming up, do you want anything? Hope you're doing well.
April 28, I'm thinking of visiting Souhanzan, will you remember what I look like? Or do you even remember me?
August 1. We're moving to Home II, Yamamoto wants us to look after the citizens and Innocents. I'm pregnant with a boy, I wonder what you'd want to name it. We've decided on...
Every other thought she felt was important is brought to paper in these letters. Everything she wanted to talk about that one friend, that one face she can't quite bring herself to see again.. Everything she regrets not saying in person is in those letters. Strewn across the mattress, Hayden carefully threads through them all and reads as many as she can before hearing her husband and child burst through the door with dinner, a new friend, so on.
Quickly she gathers it all and shuffles them back into the box, the corners of her lips weighed down just a bit.
No time to regret not heading over.
Before setting the lid back on the container, she admires the name in her print and shakes her head, closing the memories and placing the box back onto the dresser. As soon as that's done, she heads back out and that facade's back on. Her child will ask the same question, and she'll answer in the same way. Just, this time he'll ask when they can go.
She'll say she doesn't know.
The best liar and worst friend, she calls herself as a joke. Though that big eyed boy never quite understands what she means, Justin gets the message and changes the subject quickly, rather than see his wife demean herself for their own sake.
When it comes down to it, Hayden always wonders what her friend's expression will be when she hands her that box full of letters and expects her to read each and every one, no matter how stupid, or silly.
Her boy wonders what his mom's friend would do too.
They have no address, only a name scrawled across the white background in lovely handwriting (even though she thinks otherwise). When her little boy asks what is it that she's going to do with all those notes, she pauses in the middle of her handicraft or task and thinks about it, even when those wide eyes already know the answer.
'One day I'll give them all to who they're for, and you can come with me.' At the response he lights up and nods before running off through the apartment, not catching the bittersweet tone she holds as he turns away. When she knows both of the men in her life aren't around, she walks to that spot in the bedroom and sets the box in her lap.
She sorts the pile of letters and stamps, the notes she got halfway through but forgot to finish with dotted i's and crossed t's.
December 13. Christmas is coming up, do you want anything? Hope you're doing well.
April 28, I'm thinking of visiting Souhanzan, will you remember what I look like? Or do you even remember me?
August 1. We're moving to Home II, Yamamoto wants us to look after the citizens and Innocents. I'm pregnant with a boy, I wonder what you'd want to name it. We've decided on...
Every other thought she felt was important is brought to paper in these letters. Everything she wanted to talk about that one friend, that one face she can't quite bring herself to see again.. Everything she regrets not saying in person is in those letters. Strewn across the mattress, Hayden carefully threads through them all and reads as many as she can before hearing her husband and child burst through the door with dinner, a new friend, so on.
Quickly she gathers it all and shuffles them back into the box, the corners of her lips weighed down just a bit.
No time to regret not heading over.
Before setting the lid back on the container, she admires the name in her print and shakes her head, closing the memories and placing the box back onto the dresser. As soon as that's done, she heads back out and that facade's back on. Her child will ask the same question, and she'll answer in the same way. Just, this time he'll ask when they can go.
She'll say she doesn't know.
The best liar and worst friend, she calls herself as a joke. Though that big eyed boy never quite understands what she means, Justin gets the message and changes the subject quickly, rather than see his wife demean herself for their own sake.
When it comes down to it, Hayden always wonders what her friend's expression will be when she hands her that box full of letters and expects her to read each and every one, no matter how stupid, or silly.
Her boy wonders what his mom's friend would do too.