My older brother gives me so much flack every time I say I want to have kids, like he can’t believe why I’d want them, and not be single and ready to mingle for the rest of my life. He has one daughter (and she was an accident if I’m going to be honest). I figure, it’s my life and my body, I can do whatever I want with it. I don’t judge other people who want different things out of their lives, why should he have a say with what I do with mine, you know what I mean?

I went pretty deep with that. It’s obviously not a soft spot. :)

You aren’t married but do you have someone special in your life? I don’t live with my boyfriend.

You have no idea how many times people ask me that. “That’s what you do?” “You live off that?” It’s normal. If you want to know, I started sewing when I was 6. I wanted a Sleeping Beauty costume for Halloween that didn’t exist, so my mom shoved a bunch of random clothes at me she didn’t wear anymore and told me to figure it out. (That’s how she’s taught all of us almost everything. I’ll tell you how she taught me to ride my bike another day.) Another one of my aunts had been a seamstress and she helped me when I told her about the costume I wanted to make, and she kept teaching me as I grew up. I loved it. When I got old enough to work, I needed a part-time job on the weekends and my other aunt (the one who manages the dry cleaner), hired me. After that, I just kept making my own costumes on the sides… Then other people would ask me to help them with theirs… the rest is history. My bridal shop aunt hired me, etc, etc. I also make ice-skating dresses like the ones my sister wears for competitions. My mom couldn’t afford to keep buying her dresses, so I started making them for her. (For the record, the first few things I made her were crap.)

That might be more information than you wanted to know. :)

Do you want to be career army? My brother was in for 5 years. On his last deployment, he had an accident with an IED and was seriously injured by shrapnel. I’m pretty sure he almost died, but he and my mom were so secretive about it, they never said for sure. He has a limp and he’s too much of a prude to show anyone his scars. I think he would have stayed if that hadn’t happened, but who knows? I’m just happy he’s alive and fine. He had stories about plenty of other guys he knew who didn’t have anyone there for them. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be here writing to you. I figured, how many other people are out there alone, needing some kind of interaction even with a stranger?

Hope I didn’t bore you to death. This is a lot longer than I had anticipated.

Best,

Ruby

From: [email protected]

Date: October 5, 2008 1:17 p.m.

To: [email protected]

Subject: Eww

Ruby,

I think half the men in here thought I lost my mind from how hard I laughed at your “Eww” comment. I’m still laughing. You’re going to make me start expecting to crack up first thing with every e-mail you send. If you change your mind about me reaching out to “Smith,” let me know. The offer stands.

Continue? More happened at Mardi Gras?

Less than a week without a shower? That’s rookie level. I’ve gone over a month while on deployment in the past. I was in Iraq at one point in 2003, and we didn’t have showers for a long time. Imagine a whole company who hadn’t used soap on their armpits in almost 6 weeks. We didn’t change our uniforms or socks all the time either. Think about that.

What other movie has the best costumes?

No bonus points for me. I’ve only seen the Rings movies. I’m going to take it that you’ve read the series? I’ve only read a few fantasy books, all of them while on tour.

I’ll look your sister up on my next day off when I get more time.

You’re the first person I’ve heard of with multiple e-mails, but most of my friends wouldn’t need to have more than one. Nobody wants to e-mail them anyway.

My brother works for my dad and lives on his own, but my little sister still lives with him. She’s on the Autism spectrum. I think one day she’d be fine getting her own place if she really wanted to. For now she’s good with him.

I’ve never thought about having kids or not having kids like that. Why’s it anyone’s business what you want or don’t want? It’s your choice. I like kids. Maybe one day I can have one or two… I don’t know about four.

I don’t have anybody special in my life anymore. To be honest… that’s why I didn’t write you back for a while. My girl broke up with me right after I got here. It came out of nowhere.

How long have you been with your boyfriend?

Ice-skating dresses? In Houston? That’s the last place I could see a figure skater

coming from. I figured they’d all come from up north. Are there classes you take to get better at sewing or something? Not trying to come off like a dick again, but I had no clue “ice-skating outfits” was even a thing. I can sew a hem all right, but that’s it.

I’m sorry about your brother. That kind of thing happens a lot more than you’d think. Between us… I don’t know what I want to do. Some days, especially when things aren’t great here, I’m ready to do something else. Other times I think I could handle more years of it. I don’t know. This is all I’ve ever done besides working at a pizza place when I was in HS and helping my dad out. What else could I do?