Dart’s letter today begins by describing his watch duties and continues into tomorrow, making up for the romance that yesterday’s letter lacked.
His new watch station sits high above the bridge of the ship in the “gizmo.” (He’s not allowed to call it by it’s real name.) If she looks at the magazine photo of a destroyer that he sent her, his watch station will be clearly visible.
From high atop the ship, he has a better view of the sea and sky than he ever has before. Tonight’s sunset warranted a detailed description of colors, textures and feelings. The sea was so glassy smooth that the reflections of the moon and stars didn’t even dance or twinkle. How can a body of water as vast as the Pacific ever be that still?
He has another watch at 0400, so he stops to get some sleep.
It’s July 3 when he resumes his letter. Like Dot, he is reminiscing about their brief but memorable visit in Greenwich just a year ago. It seems an eternity has passed since then. He tells Dot he’s terribly lonely for her. “Just lonely and longing for the sight of you; for the heartwarming, peaceful thrill I have when I hold you tightly in my arms; for the touch of your lips on mine; for the gentle brush of your cheek. And I long for other things too. I like to walk with you. Your walk is so full of pep and so lively, and we seem to have fallen into step with each other from the start. I want to hear you laugh, to see the brilliant flash of your eyes and your mouth when you cut loose with a good, hearty laugh. I like the clothes you wear and the way you wear them.”
He ends by telling her how unspeakably proud and happy he is that “we can at last announce publicly the intentions that we’ve had so long. How can we wait for that big day?”
Dot is so excited to think Dart might be home in September. She wants detail! Is he sure? Will that really be the time they can announce their engagement? How will she sleep between now and then? (Sadly, she reports that the excitement has not managed to curtail her appetite.)
She hopes he can use his powers of persuasion to convince his parents to either visit her this summer and maybe even go up to Sunapee over Labor Day, or stay through to the announcement party.
Were his ears burning last night around 5:00? She was saying some particularly nice things about him to the girls at work.
She’s asking herself now why she wrote that letter after El’s engagement was broken. Honestly, she has all the faith in the world that she and Dart will not end up the same way, but the shock of Don’s betrayal really shook her foundation for a while. She still thinks she and Dart will need to make time for one (or more) of those long talks, but she knows they’ll be okay.
Her news seems to be so compact when compared with Dart’s. Tomorrow, she’ll try to write a rambling letter, as she so often sets out to do. Maybe there’ll be more to say then, in addition to the perpetual reminder that she loves him with all her heart.
