Hello there! Thank you so much for reading my story! It's my very first story, so I'm sorry if it's a bit boring or - well, just not good :) Anyway, I hope you like it!

"Holly, you need to get some sleep," Alice Robinson requested, standing in the doorway of her daughter's bedroom. "Besides, you know it's dangerous to leave the lights on at night."

The twelve-year-old looked up from the book she was reading. Alice was wearing her nightgown and a house coat, still clutching the horrible telegram in her right hand. In the past two months, that telegram had never left her grip. Holly was pretty sure she slept with it, honestly.

"You should get some sleep too, Mum," Holly replied softly.

In two months, neither Holly nor Alice had slept through the night. Alice smiled tiredly.

"Don't worry about me, Hol. Just try to sleep, all right?"

Holly sat the book on her nightstand and pulled the blankets tightly around herself. Alice turned off the bedside lamp and started for the door.

"Mum?" Holly said.

"Yes?"

"I miss Dad."

Alice stopped abruptly. Holly hadn't said one word about her father since he died. Neither of them had, actually. Not since the day the telegram came.

Alice sat down on the edge of the bed and patted Holly's arm.

"I miss him too," she croaked. "I miss him very much. But I'll bet he's up in heaven, watching over us always."

Holly smiled faintly. "I know. But I can't talk to him while he's in heaven, now can I?"

"No, I suppose you can't," Alice sighed, glancing at the telegram.

Holly could tell her mother didn't want to discuss this further, and sighed as well.

"Goodnight, Mum."

"Goodnight, Hol."

Alice left the room, and Holly let out a yawn before drifting off to sleep.

BANG.

"HOLLY!"

BANG.

Holly jumped out of bed and ran for the door by instinct. Even before the telegram came, she was terrified of the bombs. Holly threw open her bedroom door and sprinted down the hall. Her mother stood at the bottom of the stairs, her face white. Another bomb shook the house as Holly and Alice ran for the front door. They ran towards their bomb shelter, trying to avoid looking at the planes flying overhead. Holly could hear their neighbors screaming in fear – maybe even in pain. Holly didn't have the guts to look back and see which.

Alice flung open the shelter door. They bolted inside and Alice shut the door tightly.

Holly sighed, and sat down on the cot. Alice sat down beside her and put her head in her hands. The telegram fell on the cot between them, and Holly stared down at the words that had changed everything.

To Mrs. Alice Robinson and Miss Holly Robinson,

I regret to inform you that Private James Robinson has fallen in action.

My deepest condolences,

Sargent Rodger Wallace

That was all they got. One little sentence, and his "Condolences."

They had never even found his body. Alice and Holly had to bury an empty casket. His grave was a simple slab of rock with his name, date of birth and date of death, and some ridiculous quote about life after death that Holly hated.

If there was no war, no evil in the world, and no man named Hitler who wanted to ruin all of their lives, James Robinson would still be alive.

But there was a war, and it was getting worse and worse with every passing day. This was the second bombing within the month.

The bombs shook the shelter violently, and Holly resisted the urge to put her hands over her ears.

Alice sighed. "Holly, I think that maybe you going to stay with your Uncle Kirke isn't such a bad idea after all."

Kirke lived far out in the country, away from the bombs. When Holly was younger, she had loved going out to his house to stay. The old man was very kind, and his sweet attitude made up for his rude housekeeper, Ms. Macready. Kirke and Holly had always been pretty close.

After Holly's dad died, he had offered to give her a safe place to stay until the war ended. Alice had declined, saying that Holly needed time to grieve first. Kirke said that his offer still stood.

Holly had thought it was a bad idea. She didn't want to leave her mother here alone. And well, she had just lost her father. She couldn't bear the thought of being without her mother as well.

But as the bombs shook the ground, Holly wondered if maybe getting out of London wasn't such a bad idea after all.