3/12/1934

Elly dusted the crops today. There's always a grin on his face whenever he gets in a plane, but it's the biggest when he gets in that dinky yellow biplane. I think it's just being able to do what his dad did as a kid that makes him so giddy. I mean, being the best fighter pilot this side of the Chain Ridge is cool, but that was what he's been working towards.

He's a hard worker when it comes to it. I never thought I'd say that about him, but I think Irene drilled it into him as a child to do the farm work that needed to get done. Maybe his laziness nowadays is to make up for that restless childhood, or maybe he just feels indebted. I certainly would.

But he's handsome when he works. Maybe it's the difference in character I find surprising, but seeing him break a sweat and still be smiling by the end of it makes me feel giddy. A good day's work makes a kiss taste better.

What am I saying...anyway.

I met some people in town today. Seems like I've become a bit of a quarterly phenomenon in the village. It's been six years, and I guess my features make me recognisable. I'm known as 'Elliot's wife' by most people, which is no different to how I'm seen on the Steel Whale, but I don't mind it. It's another environment, and it's fun to imagine their impressions of me. Especially when I know they're all wrong.

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Elliot's friends seem to like me. I'm a decent drinker and refuse to sit quietly in a pub, so they've invited me out before regardless of if Elliot could join. They're all great, really, a good bunch of lads so to speak. It's an old town, just going off how social structure and hierarchy shapes around drinking. Old customs and old lifestyles that certainly haven't kept up with the times. I don't mind it, but I can certainly see bits and pieces of it that I wouldn't want to practice myself.

There was one interesting tidbit that happened today. Irene had asked me to go around the main street and buy some groceries. I got to the bakery, and there was a woman there, about my age, and she sort of scowled the moment I came in. I didn't think too much of it, so I just went up to her and read off the list verbatim. She scowled at me even harder. And then she said, "that's Mrs Maxwell's order."

And I said, "yes, she asked me to buy some things."

And she said, "you really are Elliot's wife."

And I just nodded and looked around the store while she gathered the order.

When I got home this evening, I asked Elly about it. Turns out she's a girl named Rachel or something, poor girl I don't even remember her name. Had a rampant, silent crush on Elliot in junior secondary school and according to his buddies, was crushed when he left for the Air Force. Can't blame her if he comes home half a decade later as a married man. And I guess that makes me enemy number one.

Apparently there's one other girl and a guy who don't particularly like the fact I snagged the one that got away. I've been in danger this whole time and I never even knew it.

But more importantly, who the hell was into some narcissistic loner? That must've been one hell of a fantasy.