But who am I

Though Amber wasn’t particularly artistically inclined, doing paint and vino nights were a particular joy for her. As fun as it was going in groups, the photographer found a special enjoyment of going out alone. The new connections made were sometimes the best friendships. Amber tied her apron around her waist and then moved to tie her hair up when a voice spoke to her. She turned to face her table mate and smiled at the other woman, reaching for her glass of wine and taking a sip. “I’m Amber. It’s nice to meet you.” She offered, moving to take her seat as they waited for the instructor. “I’m an awful artist too but they walk you step by step so it ends up being fine and fun. I find that coming alone is sometimes better than a group. I’ve done tons of these. But sunset pieces, like the one we’re doing tonight, are my favorite.” She took her brushes and put the bristles in the can of water given to each of them and motioned for Sophie to do the same. “I’m a much better photographer than I am a painter but I swear doing these will become addictive.” She laughed, brushing her bangs from her face.

-

Sophie looked over towards the other and nodded. “Ah, I see. Well I guess we will have to see how good the instructor is because I've painted some terrible things.” She said and laughed at herself. “Well a sunset couldn’t be too hard right? I mean throw some pretty colors on there and that’s good, right?” She laughed a bit. “You’re a photographer? That’s really cool. I used to take all kinds of pictures when I was a kid but they were terrible. This is my first time..sorry if I’, rambling or something, I get nervous.”

———————–

Lizzie could only squeal in excitement as Sophie relayed the details of her fairytale like encounter. “Absolutely, you did!” Lizzie agreed, it was a chance she couldn’t let go of. She had watched and heard how Sophie had fallen in love with this Marine for a while now. As fate would have it, his home was near. It would have been a shame if Sophie had let the opportunity slip by. “Did he kiss you back?!”  There was a mixture of shock and excitement as Sophie mentioned the kiss and the blonde immediately leaned over to see the pictures of the man who had stolen her best friend’s heart. But the joyous emotions sobered up pretty quickly when Sophie confessed he didn’t know everything. “Soph…” Lizzie started gently, know what a sensitive topic this was for her. “Don’t you think he deserves to know the truth? Especially, if you are going to be involved now that’s he’s back?” It was a fact that he would discover sooner or later. She couldn’t keep it a secret. “You never told him? Not even in the letters?”

-

Sophie looked over and nodded her head. “He did and it was amazing, just like a movie.” She added and sighed, leaning back against the back of her chair. “I know I need to okay..I know I can’t hide it for much longer but it was just so perfect...” She sighed softly as she looked over at her friend. “Nope. I mean, he’s a big reason I even made it though what I have already but I just can’t seem to find a good way to tell him.” She said softly. “I don’t want him to leave me because I’m sick...”

________________________

There was a wave of relief that rolled over him as Sophie assured him and he smiled down at the petite woman with ease. There weren’t many things he would say he was grateful for during the war, but Sophie and their letters were absolutely one of them. Logan knew he loved her long before he ever laid eyes on her and now that he had? Wow. There was no going back for him.  Before he could find words, Sophie was suddenly leaning forward and her lips were on his.

Shock rang through him but joy was quick to follow. Instinctively, Logan had his arms wrapped around her frame, one hand cradling the back of her neck and one laid softly on her cheek. He couldn’t remember the last time he had kissed a woman, but he knew for a fact it had never felt quite like this. When she pulled away, Logan grinned back at her, eyes soft as he brushed a lock of hair from her face. “You and me both.” Logan whispered sweetly, leaning in to press another chaste kiss to her lips. “Do you want to go grab a bite to eat?” He asked her, wrapping his arms around her waist and holding her close. “My sister will be home soon with her kids.” As much as he wanted Nora to meet Sophie, there was a time and place. Right now, he wanted to spend time with her alone - building on the foundation they had already created.

-

Sophie couldn’t help the smile that appeared on her face when she looked at Logan. He had meant so much to here the whole time that they were writing. He had gotten her through a lot of things and she knew she had to tell him about them as it was all ongoing but she didn’t want to ruin this first meeting. She made a vow to tell him soon, because she had no choice but to tell him sooner rather then later. She offered him a smile and nodded. “Food sounds really good right now. There is a really good diner not too far from here.” She suggested and she let her head rest on his chest, already so comfortable around him.

@amber--stevens​

The teachers lounge was quiet aside from the chatter of Lizzie and Sophie but stillness of it was destroyed when Lizzie’s palm hit the table. “You went to see him?! Just like that?” There was shock in her features, but at the same time there was a look of awe. “Sophie! That’s incredible! Was it amazing and romantic and everything you imagined?” Her eyes lit up, propping her chin on her hand as she itched for Sophie to dish all the details. Lizzie loved love and she always enjoyed hearing about someone else’s fairytales.  “Was he dreamy? He was a marine, right? So he has to be cute. Tell me everything!” @sophiemchale​

Sophie couldn’t help but grin, looking over towards her friend. “I did! I mean I had to take that chance you know?” She said and nodded. “I mean it was. I think I surprised him but he seemed happy I was there. I uh..kissed him.” She said ad ran a hand through her hair. “He was, man of my dreams. I mean it was like a movie. He is definitely cute.” She said as she pulled a picture up on her phone. “See?” She said as she leaned back into her chair. “Everything went great but I didn’t tell him about the cancer and chemo and stuff. I didn’t want to ruin the mood.”

In a time of great trouble and darkness in Logan’s life, Sophie had come around and brightened it. She didn’t need to be there in person but every week, her letters were the one thing that gave him hope. They were a light. A piece of hope. A glimpse of something bigger than what he was in the middle of. It was a no brainer and it took very little for him to fall for her. Their letters gave him such a window into who she was, a intimate view. A deeper view than dating sometimes gave you. And likewise, he had been vulnerable with her, more than he had ever been with anyone else. 

“Like I said, classic Sophie.” Logan chuckled, running a hand over his hair as he gave her a lopsided grin. “It’s okay, I really don’t mind.” The marine leaned against the walk near him, the grin softening to a smile at her words and he looked down at the floor. “I’ve kept them too, most of them.” He scratched the back of his neck. “Some of them didn’t make it.” He didn’t celebrate on that, knowing she’d get it. “But I read through them too. You don’t know how much they meant to me. I know it was probably just part of one those programs but they meant….you mean…” His tongue tied, unable to get out what he wanted to. It was easy to tell her how he felt on paper, but in person? It made him clammy. “I’m better with words on paper.” Logan laughed, taking a couple of steps towards her, holding his hand out for her. “What I’m trying to say is that you put a smile on my face no matter what I’m going through. And I’m happy you came; I wasn’t sure how to even ask you to meet now that I’m here.”

Sophie couldn’t help but smile at his words, words that she had always wanted to hear from him. He had told her similar things like that before however this time it wasn’t on paper, this time he was saying it directly to her and the butterflies in her stomach were rising once more, her heart melting at every word. “I think you are doing just fine without the paper.” She said softly, reaching out to take his hand. Their experience was unique as the letters let them get to know each other for who they were and not what they looked like. She felt like he knew her better then most people did who knew her in real life. 

Leaning in, Sophie pressed her lips against his, her arms wrapping behind his head and stood on her tiptoes to get up taller. She pulled away a moment later, cheeks red. “I’ve uh...been wanting to do that for a long time now.” She said and grinned, smile wide. 

Sophie. The name knocked the wind right out of Logan in one big exhale and the hand that had been resting against the door fell to his side in sheer shock. His dark eyes landed on the letter as if he needed proof to believe it was her but it wasn’t needed. He could feel it was her. In retrospect, Logan should have guessed this was something she would do. They had spent a while writing each other and he knew her well enough now to know that the minute she noticed his letter came from somewhere so close, she would come. It was classic to the Sophie he cared so much about. 

“No, no.” He said immediately, opening the door a bit wider as if to reassure her that she was more than welcomed. He was beyond excited now, stunned, but excited. . “No, I’m glad you did. I’ve been wanting to meet you for such a long time.” He breathed, a soft smile sidling along his lip as he let himself take her in for the first time. Logan supposed he had imagined what she looked like through their letter but whatever he had imagined did no justice to her in real life. She breath-taking. “Come in,” He finally said, letting her into the house and shutting the door behind her. “Would…uh… do you want something to drink?”

Sophie still couldn’t believe that she was still seeing Logan right in front of her eyes and he was more handsome then she could have ever imagined, not that she fell for his looks, it was just a bonus. She walked into his place with a smile on her face. “No..uh I’m okay. Sorry for just dropping in but you were so close and I just couldn’t help myself.” She said as she looked up towards him. She still couldn’t believe that after all this time and all those letters that he was right there. She would be lying if she said she didn’t develop feelings for the man behind the letters because she definitely had. 

Now that she was inside of the house, Sophie could feel the butterflies rising in her chest, the thoughts of their communications at the forefront of her memories. She pushed a few pieces of hair behind her ear and shoved her hands in her pockets after putting the most recent letter in her purse. “I have all your letters. I’ve saved them in a box. I uh..sometimes go back and read them. They always put a smile on my face, no matter what I’m going through.”

Settling back into civilian life had been difficult for Logan and while he might have not carried physical damage from his deployment, his mental wounds more than made up for it. The shift from all he knew to having to get settled with living with his sister and her sons for the time being was jarring. It was one of the reason it had taken him a bit longer than normal to send Sophie his final letter. It was the letter letting her know that he had finally made it back home, safe and sound. Her biggest wish for him in all the time they had spent writing back and forth. Her letters were the only thing that gave him hope on some of the darkest days.

The sound of knocking at the front door had Logan pushing himself off the couch and towards the front door. Upon opening it, his eyes fell on a young women, not much younger than himself and his heart gave a tug, almost as if he knew her already. She was beautiful. “Hi.” Logan finally managed to get out, opening the door bit more. “I’m sorry… do I… do I know you?” The question was finally asked but deep inside, he already knew exactly who this was. There was a warmth around her that he had always felt in the letters Sophie would send him. But it couldn’t be. Could it?

Sophie couldn’t help but feel the nerves still bubbling in her chest. She looked up and smiled softly as she heard his voice, one she had tried to imagine for the whole time they had been writing. It was more beautiful then she had imagined. “Uh..yeah kinda. I’m Sophie.” She said as she held up the last letter that he had sent as if she would need some sort of proof that she was who she said she was. She was worried that this was too much, that he wouldn’t like her showing up like this and would turn her away or get angry. She bit her bottom lip and continued to look towards him. 

“I know this is a lot..uh..coming here and everything but um...I dunno, I just felt like I had to meet you, to take that chance.” Sophie said and offered him a soft smile. “I’d understand of you want me to go away or something. I mean, we could go out for some coffee or something? If that would be more...appropriate?”

Once she read the letter should couldn’t help but look at the address. She wanted more than anything to see the person she had been writing to in person and be able to look at them with her own two eyes, not just see a letter. Sophie grabbed her purse and keys, getting into the car and she drove to the address, putting the car in park as she looked at his place. There wasn’t far between them and she could feel the butterflies in her chest as she got out of the car and walked up to the front door, knocking before letting her hands fall by her sides, staring at the door as she waited for it to open and once it did, she looked up. “Uh...hi.”