January 2nd, 1960. 2:05pm. Stanford College, Californa

I'm shocked to see that Violet, Juliet, and Buddy all wrote me.

I barely speak to any of them.

I hurry up to my dorm and am glad to see that Josh is gone. I think he's in a lecture.

I tear open the letters. Violet and Buddy's are practically the same. The whole 'I don't care you're a fag I forgive you blah blah blah.'.

I don't know why they're still so hung up on that. I was drunk and Buddy already broke my nose, I think that was good enough payback.

Rolling my eyes, I sit at my desk and put on the best 'happy' attitude I can muster. Maybe if I pretend to be happy, my letter will come off as happy.

Buddy still thinks I'm in love with him. He's old news. I was head over heels for Desmond Winters, but he just had to get a stupid role in a stupid Hollywood movie that I stupidly will see no less than five times in the theaters.

Yeah, sure, it sucks to hear Vi's pregnant with the child of an old love of mine, but I've been through this rodeo before. Hell, it was back when I thought I could never love anyone besides Buddy.

I remember the exact day. September 15th, 1954. Vi came home sobbing with Buddy who looked sick.

Juliet and I quickly pulled them into Juliet's room and sat them down, asking what had happened and why they were so upset.

Vi was too hysterical to answer.

So Buddy just bit the bullet and said it.

"She's pregnant."

I was shocked, taken aback, angry, and terrified.

I knew they'd been having sex. Everyone knew. It's not like they tried too hard to hide it. I heard them more than once, but that's just because my bedroom was right next to Violet's and her headboard was right against mine, just in opposite rooms.

Juliet pulled Vi into a hug and told her they would figure it out right away. That Juliet would trade her place if she could. That having a baby will be fun.

Vi was buying into it. Buddy wasn't.

Buddy was horrified. No doubt blaming himself. How did he not notice if the condom broke? How careless was he?

"I can't tell mom and dad, they'll be so, so mad!"

Violet was right. When they would inevitably have to break the news, mom and dad would NOT be happy. Mom and dad would almost definitely kick them out or force them into marriage.

Four days later, we came to find out that it was the latter. They had to get married. Their offical wedding day was September 20th, 1954.

Vi cried all night the night before the shitty little courthouse ceremony. There was no white dress and no tux. No bouquet or bridesmaids or groomsmen or receptions or vows. It was just me, Juliet, mom, dad, Buddy's parents, and the bride and groom.

I didn't want to go. I was heartbroken, seeing someone I loved marry my sister. But Juliet forced me to come. "Vi needs us." she said. "We're the only ones who she can trust. We're the only ones who know her like this."

The ceremony lasted a grand total of fifteen minutes from when dad signed the papers, making Buddy her legal guardian, all the way until the "I pronounce you man and wife."

We all went to lunch afterwards. The Double Nickle.

Vi wasn't beaming like a normal bride should be, but she wasn't a normal bride. She was a pregnant teenager in a West Texas town. She didn't have a choice. Her options were either go live with Buddy's cousins up in bumfuck Utah or marry him. Obviously she ended up in marriage. Who would want to live in Utah, anyway?

Everyone was desperately acting like nothing was wrong, everyone besides Vi and Buddy, who were both uncharacteristically silent.

Both of them barely touched their meals. The only times they spoke was when spoken too.

After lunch, we all headed back to our house.

Violet and Buddy went up to her room. I went up to mine.

I heard them talking nonstop for hours. Occasional sobs from Vi accompanied with 'shhhhh's from Buddy. I can only assume they were trying to figure out what the hell to do. There they were, two newlyweds, barely seniors in high school. He was barely eighteen, Vi was seventeen, and they were going to be parents. I can't imagine the fear.

After a few hours of listening to the murmurs of Vi and Buddy, I went downstairs to get some water. Buddy's parents and mine were still sat in the living room, still trying to figure out the finer details. Who would they live with? Who would buy clothes and diapers? Who would babysit while they finished out the last weeks of school? Adoption was never an option. It was never even a thought.

I wandered into the kitchen and eavesdropped on their conversation more. Buddy was already working with his brother when he could. Vi was in nursing school. My parents offered to support them through it, as long as Buddy kept working and Vi kept in school. Not like my parents were aching for money, anyway. If I'm honest, I was shocked they were so supportive. I would have thought mom and dad would kick them out to the curb and tell them to figure it out on their own.

I got the water and snuck it back up into my room, running into Buddy, who was going down to get Vi water. I gave him my glass to give to her and I headed back downstairs. I could grab another one anyway.

Those few weeks after they got married and before the miscarriage were almost surreal. It was like one long dream. Vi and Buddy were both living at our house, but we all acted like nothing was wrong. We all pretended it was a normal day. We pretended it was normal for my parents to have to go to Lubbock High and turn in the marriage certificate so they could enter Vi's last name as Holley.

No one at school besides the teachers knew anything. All the teachers knew was that they got married. Not one of them was surprised. They had no clue she was pregnant, though.

Thank god nothing was leaked to the students. As far as I know, no one who wasn't in the courtroom knows.

But then the day came.

Vi didn't go to school, she was feeling extra sick. Buddy, Juliet, and I all went. It was a day just like the rest, atleast to me.

I guess Vi called Buddy while he was at school and he came home to find her in the bathroom covered in blood. I'm just glad I didn't have to see her like that.

He took her to the hospital where she stayed a couple days. It was pretty bad, she was ten weeks along, which is incredibly late to miscarry.

After Vi came back and recovered, everything went back to normal. Buddy lived with his parents again, Vi still referred to herself as Violet Winter. They never wore rings in the first place. It just seemed to disappear.

I know Vi would never admit it to anyone besides Buddy, but she was secretly happy she lost the baby. No one was ready. No one was near ready.

I take a deep breath and pull out a notebook and a pen. I suppose I owe them a write back.

"Violet,

Congrats! I'm excited to have a third nephew (or niece) in the world! Can't wait to meet them. I really hope it doesn't end like last time, either.

I've been doing all right. School is hard, but I didn't expect anything less for an engineering degree. Four years down, two more to go. California is super warm! It's really nice not to worry about snow. As for Linda, I suppose I did propose, but not officially. There was no ring involved. I just asked if she wanted to get married and she agreed. It was pretty great! I'm saving up for a ring now.

I've seen you all over the papers! Lots and lots of tours. Hey, if you ever come to California, Linda and I get in for free, right? Haha!

I haven't heard about the crash. Haven't seen it in the news or anything. I'm glad you're all okay. Well, besides the pilot. Do you guys know what caused it?

I'm glad you finally forgave me for that incident back then. I was off my ass and wasn't thinking right. My nose got busted, I think that was good payback. And yeah, Linda better be good enough cover. I would hate to be outed then killed. I can't control it. Trust me, if I could like women, I would.

I'm glad you haven't told anyone, including Juliet. Although, I'm pretty sure she knows somehow.

I'd love to go see the baby! Just tell me when they're born and I'll be there! You said July? I'll probably be down in Lubbock for the summer, so I won't worry about missing classes. I assume you'll have the baby in New York City, yeah? I'd love to visit.

I love and miss you too! Keep me updated on the baby!

Love,
Vincent"