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Chapter Two: Letters
"Mail call!" the mail car called a few days later.
RC hurried over. "Anything for me today Annie?"
"Yup," Annie said cheerfully, handing him a letter.
He took the letter. "You're the best Annie!" He the quickly opened it and began to read.
She grinned and headed off to deliver the other mail.
He gave a slight chuckle. "hope so too..." he said to himself.
"Of course..." He said with a smile, "I won't disappoint you Lily..."
He chuckled slightly. That was the truth, though with Annie a letter never got lost.
"Me too Lily..."
"good...." he muttered happily.
I love you. A lot. Very very much.
He chuckled slightly. "I love you too..."
There was an assortment of her saying that she loved him in various different ways and then signed her name.
He chuckled, but his heart began to ache for her again.
Lily was in her room doodling in her diary.
A train pulled up outside and a coach called out "Mail Call!"
Lily ran outside
The coach was busy handing out mail to other members in the yard.
"Anything for me?" Lily asked
"I believe I saw something for you in here Lily....Ah yes, here we go!" the mail coach handed a letter to the sleeper.
Lily ee-d when she saw the return address and with a quick thank you to the mail coach, she darted into the house and into her room to read it.
Hey Lil,
the letter started.
Promised I'd write to you and here's the first of what I promise to be of many more.
Like you, I wrote this as soon as I finished reading you letter. Hope it finds you well.
I think about you every day. Don't worry though, I force my self to keep my mind on work.
"Well I certainly hope so," Lily said, "Don't want my caboose falling off any mountains."
I try not to work too hard, but up in the mountains, doing what I do, it's still difficult.
I wish I had my Lily every night when I get home....
I'm glad to read that your sister gave her okay, wouldn't want her upset in anyway.
Still working on figuring out a way for you and I to be together at last.....
don't know when that'll be though...
Someday... (he seemed to echo her thought)
I Love you Lily. Please don't forget that.
I look forward to hearing from you soon...
I love you with all my heart....
Ryan.
She smiled and picked up her pen, "I love you too."
RC was just leading Charlie's train down from the mountains back to safety.
Annie was waiting for him.
He saw the mail car and as soon as the rest were down and unhitched, the caboose hurried over to her. "Well?" he asked eagerly.
She held a letter between two of her fingers, "Looking for this?"
A wide smile crossed his face as he caught a glimpse of the return address. "Yes, Been waiting or it." He took it from Annie. "don't know what I'd do without ya Annie." He then opened it as he skated over to a shade tree to read it.
She laughed and headed off.
He began to read...
"Darn right it shouldn't!" the caboose chuckled.
"Yes...just you wait and see..." he said softly.
He nodded. "true..."
RC chuckled, he loved Lily's sense of humor.
RC hurried into his shed and sat at a desk and started to write his letter.
"Hey RC?" Charlie knocked on the door.
RC looked up. "yeah?"
"Can you- Oh." he trailed off, seeing what RC was doing.
RC put the pen down. "what?" he asked.
"I was going to ask you to do something, but you seem to be a bit busy," Charlie was half teasing.
RC laughed. "I will after I'm done. How's that? Can it wait a few moments?"
Charlie nodded, "Yeah, just needed your help with something, but it can wait."
"All right," he winked. "thanks."
Charlie laughed a bit and headed off to let the caboose finish his letter
After some time, RC did and sent it to be mailed.
Lily nearly ran Belle over as she went out to check the mail.
The mail car had the letter in her fingers, ready.
"any mail for me?" Lily asked.
"Could this possibly be what you mean?" the car asked with a gentle smile, handing the letter to Lily.
"Thank you!" she eeped and then ran inside to read it
Lovely Lil,
I had just come down from the mountains when Annie arrived with the mail.
You can image the happiness knowing that you still remembered dirty old me working in the mountains
I still think of you. You've stolen my heart, so don't loose faith in me.
"I won't," she whispered
I'm still working on a way to bring you and I together again.
I've come up with a few but the trick is to figure which would work the best.
Hope this letter finds you well. I am.
Still working hard but knowing that I'll soon be able to have you to came home to makes it easier.
She smiled at that, "I'm glad of that."
Until that day dear Lily, we must be content with letter writing.
I love you Lily.
Yours,
Ryan.
******
Lily's next letter was a bit longer in coming. Every day RC would check with Annie when the mail came, but always, nothing.
Finally, Annie had a letter for him.
RC rushed over. "You have it today? Please tell me there's something today Annie...."
"There's something today," she said with a smile, handing it over.
"Thanks Annie." He took it and quickly opened it.
I am very sorry this letter is late!
"But I have the most exciting news! Belle's getting married!
Jacob proposed to her. It wasn't really a surprise, but now I've been a bit busy with helping her with wedding plans.
Of course I didn't forget you, this letter is being written in every spare moment that I've got - which admittedly, isn't a whole lot.
I've discovered that my calm collected sister isn't at all calm and collected when she's about to get married.
He chuckled. "Many coaches aren't"
I'm afraid that, for all the wait that you've had, this will be a short letter.
There is one more thing though... but I don't want to say too much just in case it doesn't work out.
But more on that later.
The more important thing right now is that I want to make sure you don't think I've forgotten you.
"I haven't Lily..."
Because I haven't. You said I stole your heart... well considering that you have mine, I think it's only fair.
Sorry to write and run but I'm afraid I have to.
I love you.
"I love you too Lily..."
He smiled and quickly went off to write.
Several days later, Lily went out to check the mail in her spare time.
The mail car smiled. "something for you Lily."
She grinned and held out a hand.
The car gave it to her with a smile. "Sure been getting a lot of letters from the same place," she said wink.
"Yes I have."
"Well, I have more mail to deliver, so I'm off."
She nodded absently, opening her letter
My dearest Lily, it began.
So you finally decided to write?
Nah, I'm just kidding. I figured something had come up.
Just glad you weren't ill or nothing happened to you.
The news about your sister is wonderful!
Give her and Jacob my congratulations.
Dear Ryan
Whew, what a long last few weeks this has been! Not that it hasn't been fun, and I would never give it up.
The wedding went through without any problems - and now Belle and Jacob are happily married.
They're in their own place now, and it does seem a little odd not having her around - but I know that I won't be alone for all that long.
And besides, I did catch the bouquet
"Not if I can help it," RC said with a smile.
I did leave you with a bit of a cliff hanger in my last letter, but at the time when I wrote it, all I had was a rumor and I didn't want to get your hopes up.
One of the freight cabooses in my yard is retiring, and they are looking for a replacement.
I've been putting a good word in for you...
He grinned, "That IS good news!"
I know that you like working in the mountains, and working in a trainyard would hardly be as glamorous, but...
He read her next sentence aloud, "We'd be together."
He smiled and hurried to his shed.
Charlie stepped out of his way, recognizing the look on RC's face.
He dug out a piece of paper and a pencil and began to write.
Lily was sitting outside in the nice weather upon the arrival of the next letter.
The train entered and the coach was ready for the sleeper.
Lily looked up expectantly.
She pulled up and handed it to Lily. "Yet another," she teased good-naturedly.
Lily grinned, "Wonderful."
"I'm sure I'll be seeing you again." And with that the coach went off.
"You bet," Lily said with a grin, setting down her glass and opened the letter to read it
Lovely Lily, it began. Once again I hope this letter finds you well and not *too* tired after your sister's wedding.
She giggled, "Not too tired to read your letter."
So your yard's freight caboose is retiring?
I won't let my hopes up, but you keep putting in a good word for this red caboose and who knows.
I wish I could embrace you in the happiness I feel right now, but I'll have to send you it through the mail.
'xoxoxo'..."
She grinned
So the wedding was pulled off? Belle back to her cool and collected self?
And you caught the bouquet...
(One could hear the smile in his voice.)
That's my girl! Won't be too much longer then, I can feel it.
She nodded "I hope so..."
Just keep me updated on the news, when it becomes certain.
Haven't said a word to Charlie yet of course but if it looks positive I need to tell him ahead of time.
And with that, it's nearly lunch time at the diner and those that are late don't get anything because it's gone in a snap.
I am waiting for your next letter already.
You're always in my heart,
Ryan.
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