Letter # 374 May 21, 1944

West Coast
May 21, 1944
Sunday
My Sweetheart Wife;
Hello honey, gosh but I'm missing you.  I'd like better than to see you.  You're a sweet woman.  I sure do love you.  Believe me?  I could prove it if I had the chance.  I'm all set and ready to equal or better any performance we've ever put on.  I love you honey. 
I'm sorry I didn't wire at least a few words to you when we got here.  I feel guilty when every day I read in your letters that you still haven't heard from me.  I did think of wiring but I didn't have anything but bad news to tell you and I didn't expect it to take so long for my letters to get there.  I sure as hell hope you have some by now.  It's a hell of an empty feeling to find the mailbox empty day after day.  I know.  Of course it's probably only a small taste of what is coming soon.  That's going to be hard to take.  Weeks when we won't hear a thing from each other.  I'm not going to like that at all.  We've gone through other hard times so I guess we will weather this one too.  You can be very certain that I'll be thinking of you constantly.
I've been writing a few letters today.  Harold, Vi, Marg, and now you.  I always leave the best until last.  Like dessert or something.  You're sweet you know. 
I got your Tues. letter today so I have two to answer.  Good thing too,  'cause I haven't anything else to say.
I don't know as your pick for a vacation would appeal very much to me.  New York never intrigued me very much.  Go to it, sweetheart and have yourself a time in any way you want.  When I come home again you won't be able to do things like that.  I'll keep you busy taking care of me. 
Things aren't at all the same as usual with me.  All new scenery and things, but in spite of all that, there is one very important thing missing.  It's only a big, beautiful, luscious, desirable, distracting, and thoroughly sweet and lovable girl that is my wife.  It's strange that any one thing could be missed so much and cause such a void in me.  Strange or not it's true.  I'm glad about it too.  I love you my bubbles. 
I'm glad to hear spring has finally come back home.  It sure is time.  All the new trees and shrubs we planted are doing good.  Sure will be glad to get back to them again. 
I know you are a bit blue.  Who wouldn't be?  You are doing an awful good job of keeping your chin up and I'm proud of you.  You're a very unusual girl.  Keep it up for a while longer and it will all be over.  Won't be long after I get back and all this will be like a dream.  We'll even talk about it and laugh at things we thought were hard to take. 
You'll soon be out of school.  In fact, by the time you get this you'll only have a couple days left, and then you can rest and relax [and mow the lawn] for most of the summer.  Doesn't sound too bad on paper
does it? 
I'm even getting fat again.  Bet I've gained close to 15 lbs.  Soon be my old pudgy self again. 
Well honey, I'm about written out for today.  Bye darling, I'm loving you so much.
Your hubby.
Norm.