Written for Everything Strawberry.

It's written all over my heart.

This may seem like a non sequitur, but I hate how forewords are (ab)used on AFF. Absolutely loathe it. A foreword is most typically an introduction written by a writer, not the author, to describe the relationship that writer has with the story (or with the author). In essence, it is a review of the work to offer readers an understanding of the author's background and (perceived) intentions—in hopes that it will enrich the reading experience and evoke literary appreciation.

Sadly, I do not have such a person to whom I can turn for this introduction (nor do I think I deserve this kind of tribute to my work)—so, dear readers, you will have to make do with a self-promoting (and possibly nonsensical) foreword from yours truly.

This began as an endeavor to depict a relationship solely through the written word, as I am a firm believer that any emotion worth expressing can be expressed in pen—given that one is eloquent enough. I would say I succeeded to a degree, but through all this, I have realized this generation's growing detachment from poignant diction, trading in poetry for tumblr memes and keyboard smashes. So this story became a reluctant reintroduction of mail correspondence into the hectic world of texts and social media. This became a story in which the deepest desires and the happiest moments are found in a sealed white envelope decorated with postage stamps—a story in which, sometimes, it's easier to bridge the distance between two hearts with ink than with whispers.

But at the heart of it all, this is just a story of two boys being boys.

Fair warning, the following page will be very image-heavy: turn back, ye faint of Internet connection.

Sincerely,

JB