Love never dies! {Thomas Shelby}

Chapter 2- The letters.

It has been two long years since the men had gone off to war and the days never get easier. All you can wonder about is if they are still alive and if they still look the same. Along with worrying about them dying you also worry about them getting hurt. War would be brutal. And you have no idea what its like but all you can do is imagine and even that made me feel sick. Occasionally, we would get a letter from the men, all it would say was that so far they have survived, the foul things they have seen and experienced as well as them saying that they don't think it will end soon.
Today was the same as the others except I got a letter from Tommy. I had to resist the urge to rip it open, I had to wait until I got home after work to open it. When I finally got home after a stressful day at the bakery, I ran myself a bath and worked up the courage to open the letter. After about an hour of staring at the letter, I finally decide to open it.
Dear Sophie,
I miss you my love, your the only thing keeping me going. Its brutal out here and I do not think it will end soon. Men are dying left, right and centre because of gunshots, shell shock and from gas attacks.
There are a lot more rats and lice. I see men being eaten alive and the rats are almost the size of my head. There are a lot more diseases going around and loads of soldiers are getting trench foot, their feet turn blue and become numb. I am really scared Sophie at night I hear men shovelling, getting ready to bury the dead men's bodies. That could be any of us soon and I cant imagine how you would feel.
Sophie love, I think you should move on. Forget about me and live your best life. Don't you see, this is a perfect opportunity to forget about me, to move on and be free. You would not have to worry about me all the time because I know you are love. I fear that if you decide to wait for me that you will be disappointed because no one will come back the same. I will keep my promise to you even if you forget about me. I will never forget you and I love you Sophie.
I really do love you!
Yours sincerely,
Thomas Shelby
Once again my heart breaks, this was it, he was breaking up with me. I wont listen to him and I certainly will not forget about him. I grab a piece of paper and pen, making my way to my desk. While writing a letter to him, I allow myself to cry.
Dear Tommy,
Please do not think that any of this is your fault. I also understand why you have made the decision to let me go but you can not do this alone. No matter weather me father or your brothers are there with you.
It sounds awful there and I can not help but fear that you or anyone that I love are next. Please do not worry about me and I have also slipped a photo of us in this letter so you can keep it close to your heart.
I have not heard from father but mother has. The fear eats everyone alive here so I can only imagine what it must be like there. For now you are all safe but who knows how much longer that will last.
Please be safe! I know that is stupid but please try and let everyone else know I miss them and love them.
I await your next letter and please do not forget that I love you.
Yours sincerely,
Sophie Pierce
I didn't get a letter back for over an agonizing month. Every day was spent working all day and having a glass of Irish whiskey at night. Finally the day I waited for came, the letters. They had come and I got one. I didn't drink that night, I just went straight home, excitedly.
I excitedly sit down at the table and rip open the letter. I know he wanted me to forget about him but I will not do that. I cant! I finally concentrate on reading Tommy's letter.
Dear Sophie,
Sorry this letter took so long, we barely get a chance to write or sleep out here. I will keep the photo close to my heart till I get home. I would understand if you give up on me but just know that I am grateful that I met you and fell in love with you.
When me, your father and me brothers were finally able to have a minute to talk I told them what you said, we all miss you terribly. Just know that if I die out here, I will always love you and you are my light at the end of this dark tunnel.
Sophie, love, I will do my best to keep everyone you love alive as well as the people out here that I love but I will save them if I need too so please if I die, don't be angry at me love. I will try to write as many letters to you as I can but it will be hard, it may take more than a couple months but I promise you when I can, I will.
I miss you terribly and can not wait until I see you again. Please hang in there love just like me and I hope to see you soon. I love you.
Yours sincerely,
Tommy Shelby
That was the last letter I had from him for about a year and I have been worrying sick. I cry myself to sleep at night and the nightmares I get consume me but the little reinsurances father writes in his letters help. He says that Tommy is alright but has been busy fighting, digging and sleeping. I understand that they are more important and decide to write him letters of reassurance.
~ 3 years into the war ~
After a long year of living of my fathers reassurance, I finally got a letter from Tommy. The amount of happiness I felt when I received it could never be described and I cried tears of joy. He had finally been able to write back. I rush threw the front door and straight to my room, passing my confused mother on the way. I open the door and jump onto my bed, here it was after a year. I rip it open without a second thought and quickly read over it.
Dear Sophie,
I am finally writing back love. I read all you lovely letters and kept them in a safe place so that I could read them when I was and am down. Still after all these years, you are my shining light and I could never be more grateful for a person. When I get home to you, with your fathers approval, I will marry you. That's only if you want.
I do not want to keep secrets from you so I have to inform you about my latest trauma. About five months ago I had been held as a hostage by the Russians, I had been tortured and beaten. They only kept me hostage because I had been awarded Sergeant Major. I also have saved over thousands of lives and I now settle by helping dig the trenches, it stops me from seeing people dying but I have barely any light but a few candles. Any time or any day, I could be discovered but I hope not, aye!
They think the war might end soon but we can never be too sure. I am sorry my love, I am sorry that I have made you worry about me, I am sorry it has taken me so long to write back, I am sorry about everything. I miss you more than words could ever describe and I love you to the moon and back x infinity. My love for you has not and will not die. I hope you can forgive that it may take a few months till I can write another one but please try not to worry too much.
I love you.
Yours sincerely,
Thomas Shelby
I smile at how he wants to marry me and how he has saved so many lives as well as the country. I am beyond proud of him and can not wait until I can hug him and see him.