Page 54 of Beautiful Notes

I know you said, you know what it's like to be unhappy and alone. To be unloved by those who you want to love you unconditionally. But I thought you should know, Schmidty, you are loved. I love you. I thank God, everyday for giving me a friend like you to push me to do the hard things. Because I never would have come home. I never would have reached out to Ollie and I never would have found this amazing life that I continue to cherish day in and day out.

Thank you Jarred, for being my friend, for everything.

I just thought you’d like to know that I am happy, and I did everything.

“Noah, are you ready to go?” I hear, coming from down the hallway. We have finally finished the renovations of the house and I know she is in the soon to be nursey, planning how we are to going decorate it.

“Almost.” I cap my pen, wipe the single, silent tear that is creeping slowly down by face and fold the paper into perfect thirds before standing and walking over to the dark brown wooden built in bookshelves on the far side of the office.

“We can’t be late for this appointment,” she calls again.

Pulling out a small box, placing it on the desk I open it and look inside. The letter and dog tags sit perfectly inside. Placing the new letter inside, I smile to myself knowing that Jarred would be happy. He thrived off making everyone around him happy, even sacrificing his own to achieve that.

After returning the box to its designated spot on the shelf next to a half blurry photo of us leaving Fishy’s one night, I turn and see Ollie standing in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe with on hand on her tiny round belly, that is just starting to show, with a beautiful smirk on her face.

“He’d be proud of you and happy to see this,” she says, waving me closer to her.

“I know,” I say, pulling her close and planting a kiss on her forehead.