Hey, kiddo,
how's everything back in Chicago?
It's almost gotten boring
here in Florida.
It's pretty early still,
but I'm almost certain that
today will be exactly the same
as yesterday was,
considering that the day before
was exactly the same as well.

I tried fishing, like you said I should,
but I didn't catch anything.
I think it's better that way, though,
cause I still think I would feel terrible
if I had actually hurt any of the fish.
But when we were finishing up,
three dolphins jumped out of the water
just a few feet from the dock—
and that was amazing.

Are your college essays going okay still?
Try not to be too stressed about it, kiddo,
You know you're an amazing writer
and I can't think of any school in the country
who wouldn't be lucky to have you.
Finish up with the sixteenth soon, though,
I miss having you to talk to.

Oh, and I've been wondering,
now that Thanksgiving is over and all:
What exactly is it
that a boy like you might want for Christmas?
I've tried to think about it a lot,
but really, I have no idea,
because you deserve something perfect
and I'm not sure what that looks like yet.
I'm hoping that by the end of December
I'll know more about what to get you
I'm a little bit nervous about it, to be honest,
I've never really had a boy to shop for.
And nothing I've come up with so far
has been anything close to
the right kind of gift for someone like you.

I guess this is where I'll close or something,
just writing to let you know I was thinking of you.
Love you lots, kiddo,
call me when you can.