Accidental Penpal

York glanced up from the paper work he had been working on to see someone walk into the store. It was a little over a year after he had gotten his honorary discharged from the Army and not long after Aaron had come back also once his contract had been completed. They both realized that they lived relatively close to each other and once Aaron came back to the states, they got back in touch and ended up starting a business together.

They both had a love for music, one of the many reasons that they had become so close when they were in the same unit, so they decided to open a music store together. It was a music store that basically sold anything. From CD’s and records to instruments and Aaron took care of that part with sales while York was the music teacher giving private lessons to people who wanted them.

It was the perfect set up and York loved it. He and Aaron worked well together and even though the man seemed to have ADD he was great at what he did and they even were getting ads in music magazines and articles written on their little shop.

York pulled himself from his thoughts and looked back down to the piece of paper in front of him with a small smile on his face. It was already almost used with his familiar chicken scratch on it and he tapped his pen on his desk as he read through it…

Dear strange adorable girlfriend of mine,

So I’m really bored at this moment. My lesson with that know-it-all girl just finished and I’m about to claw my eyes out. So if you find spots of blood on this letter, you’ll know why. And now I have about two and a half hours before the next lesson then I’ll be able to go home. Did I mention how bored I am at the moment?

Moron, meaning Aaron but you probably guessed that already, is being the good little music shop owner and helping some of the customers so he’s not available to entertain me. So I came to you. You should feel honored.

Anyway, so how are classes going? I hope you’re not as bored as I am at this moment, seriously, I would rather be listening to a creepy old professor than be here at this moment. Sad I know…

York was just about to pick up his pen and begin writing again when he heard a knock come to his door. “What are you doing?” Aaron asked as he walked in and plopped down on the couch that was in his office.

“Writing a letter to Kendal, why are you in here? Don’t you have more customers to please big shot?” York asked as Aaron just shrugged and picked up Holly from her stand next to the couch and began to strum a little.

After York had gotten back from the Army and Kendal got out of the hospital, they had decided on joint custody of Holly since Kendal had grown to love her so much. They had agreed that York would take her to work with him since he liked using that guitar most than the other ones he owned. Holly would always hold a special place in his heart as would Kendal also.

York rolled his eyes and reached over to grab the guitar from his best friend. “Ooh touchy much?”

“You know I don’t like anyone besides me touching her.” He mumbled as he held Holly close and caught the mischievous look in Aaron’s eyes. “Don’t even think about making that perverted.”

“Oh boys!” Someone yelled as the bell above the main door into the shop dinged. Both of them looked into the main part of the shop and smiled when they saw Ali and Maggie walking in.

Maggie’s contract had been completed around the same time as Aaron’s and when she came back to the states she moved to California also since she didn’t have any family back in Minnesota and her older sister lived back in L.A. so she decided to join them. She was a nurse at one of the local hospitals now and about six months after they had all been living by each other, they had finally signed the papers so Maggie could adopt Ali and bring him to the states.

“York!” Ali yelled as he came running in. York had just enough time to set his guitar down before the boy launched himself in the air and landed in his lap.

York smiled as Maggie pushed Aaron over on the couch so she could sit down too. “Hey buddy what’s up? Did you have fun at school?”

The boy shook his head. “No, I don’t want to go to school. Why can’t I stay here with you and Aaron all day. You can teach me.”

“I’m sorry bud, that’s not how it works. Besides, you’ve made some friends at school haven’t you? You don’t want to leave them?” Aaron asked trying to convince the boy that school wasn’t as bad as he thought it was.

Ali just shook his head and gave them his stubborn face. He had just turned eleven about two months back and was in fifth grade at a local school close to where he lived with Maggie. He was actually adjusting to everything much better than anyone had thought he would and York and Aaron helped Maggie with him as much as they could whenever she had to work late at the hospital.

“Hey, what’s this?” Ali asked as he reached over to York’s desk and picked up his half written note.

“His love letter to Miss Kendal,” Aaron teased as York glared at him and Maggie smiled sweetly.

“You’re still writing to her?” She asked as York blushed and shrugged as he grabbed the pack of crayons he kept in his desk for Ali suggesting that he draw something for Kendal while trying to also change the subject.

The little boy eagerly nodded as he pulled a blue crayon out of the box and began to draw on it. York watched the boy thinking it was the most interesting thing on earth since he was avoiding Aaron’s teasing glance.

When Ali finished, Maggie and Aaron decided they wanted to add something also so the letter was passed around the room. Aaron ended up putting another booger on the note saying that he was trying to hit a world record of how many boogers picked in a year, and was actually succeeding. Kendal and he had this strange idea that they were going to successfully use the DNA to clone Aaron and were still trying to figure out how they were going to do it.

York took the letter from Aaron when he saw that the idiot was going to put as many boogers as he could on there and spun in his chair to pick up his pen to finish it.

…Sorry sweetie, as you can tell Aaron decided to try and put more boogers on here and I had to cut him off. Ali and Maggie are also here as you can tell and demanded that they write something also. So obviously I’m not bored anymore, but getting annoyed since Aaron is now reading over my shoulder and poking me demanding he forgot to tell you something.

So I’m going to say bye and go get rid of him. I love you; I’ll see you soon,

-York <3

“Alright, I’m going to go get this out to Kendal and grab food. Do any of you want anything?” He asked as he stood and grabbed his keys and stuffed the letter into an envelope.

They all gave him the list of food they wanted and asked Ali to come with him so he could help out and the boy eagerly followed him out to his car. He was really happy with his life now and wouldn’t change it for anything. He was still trying on working on getting closer to his family again but it was a work in progress. But he knew that one day they might come around, but for now, he was just happy on how his life turned out. It was perfect.