Excuse me for saying it, but your ex seems dumb. She was fine with you being stationed in Italy but wasn’t okay with you being on deployment now? Sounds fishy. I’m really sorry that happened to you.

I’ll tell you some stories about my brother’s exes if you’re ever down and need a laugh. :)

“I’ve never had a boyfriend” means exactly that. I’ve never had a boyfriend.

Hope the mosquitoes aren’t getting you too bad.

-Ruby

P.S. I forgot you’d asked if I ever owned a Bedazzler, the answer is no. We were broke back then. She bought me glue and gems from the dollar store. Same thing. :)

From: [email protected]

Date: November 25, 2008 3:17 p.m.

To: [email protected]

Subject: RE: RE: Hi

Ruby,

I have one soldier who gets heat exhaustion really easily. I have to keep an eye on him and ask almost constantly if he’s drank enough water, otherwise he gets sick. It’s so hot it’s suffocating. When you’re sitting in an HMMWV, it’s almost like you’re sitting in a sauna all day. The mice can get into everything. About a month ago, one got into my bin and ate my ramen.

There’s no way that’s your mom you sent a picture of.

Both my friends still live in Shreveport. When I get leave, that’s who I go stay with. They come and visit as often as they can wherever I’m stationed, but usually I go visit them, and then we go somewhere.

How did you pull off the opera singer look? Was your entire body blue? You got any pictures of the Leeloo costume?

I never thought about how there wasn’t a big difference between being in Italy and here… that bothers me a lot more than I figured it would. She never really lied before, but I guess if she had, how would I know, huh? I’ll have to think about it. I was pissed off for so long after… I made myself stop. I’ve been pissed enough. I’m done with it.

You’ve never… ever… had a boyfriend?

The bugs aren’t the worst they’ve ever been, but they’re still bad enough.

What kind of dresses are you working on now? Wedding or ice-skating?

-Aaron

P.S. That’s not your mom.

From: [email protected]

Date: November 26, 2008 12:38 a.m.

To: [email protected]

Subject: Gross, Yes and Yessss

Aaron,

Do you have to stay on top of a lot of your soldiers? You’re a noncommissioned officer, aren’t you? If a mouse got into my bin, I would throw everything away. :) Can you set up traps to catch them?

That’s 100 percent my mom. She’s 51. I’m sending a picture of her and my dad when I was a kid. She hasn’t aged, has she?

That’s nice of your friends to go visit. Do you think you’ll ever end up back in Shreveport? I hope I’m not being rude asking, but why don’t you stay with your dad when you go?

A LOT of body paint was what it took to pull off the Diva costume, and a bodysuit that I had to special order and almost ruined twice. That was the most stressful design of my life. The material was a nightmare. I would rather make my sister a dozen one-hundred-hour dresses than ever make that costume again. I’ll attach a picture of the opera suit. It’s hanging in my closet. My best friend was really into makeup effects and helped me do it.

I feel like a jerk for bursting your bubble with your ex. I shouldn’t have said anything, but who knows what she might have lied to you over. People say “everything happens for a reason.” I’m not sure if that’s true, but it was probably for the best. Maybe. If a little distance is all that it takes to tear a relationship apart, that should tell you something. Anybody would be mad. There’s nothing wrong with that.

If you want to get technical, I’ve had one boyfriend… in elementary school. Damon White. We were together for all of a week.

I’m working on two dresses right now. One is a wedding dress for my aunt’s shop that she was having a lot of problems with, and she asked me to take over. The other thing I’m working on is for an eight-year-old who might win a gold medal in the future. I’ll attach pictures of them after the one of my parents. The ice-skating one is my favorite. I like doing those more than wedding dresses, but don’t tell anyone I said that. What do you think?

My dad is coming to visit tomorrow for a few days. I’m excited.

-Ruby

P.P.S. Promise that’s my mom.

From: [email protected]

Date: November 28, 2008 12:15 p.m.

To: [email protected]

Subject: More Lies

Ruby,

I am an NCO. Most of the men under me have their “stuff” together, but I still check on them all the time. If I failed to remind them about something, even if it’s something I would assume they wouldn’t forget, I’d never forgive myself. If I tried to throw anything else away other than the ramen packets they got into, the other soldiers would dig through the trash for it. I used some of the baby wipes you sent to clean everything up. It’s all good… least until I get sick.