The Thursday afternoon drag crashes over me like a wet blanket. It's all I can do to keep from resting my temple on my hand and closing my eyes. The slow moving ceiling fan does nothing to stir the stagnant warmth in my small office. I had opened the window a crack but it only lets in more of the unseasonably hot spring air.

I stand from my desk, my knee popping uncomfortably. Having been at it since lunch, I more than deserve a coffee break. Out in the near silent lobby, the heels on my oxfords click abrasively on marble floor. The secretaries are speaking in whispers, feeling as choked by the weather as I am.

There are male voices emanating from the employee lounge as I push open the door. Mr. York, my father's partner at the firm, is dabbing his forehead with a handkerchief. He stands by the half open window, his jacket slung over the back of the chair in front of him. His shirt collar is hemmed with a damp ring and the skin on his partially bald scalp is gleaming. I glance over and see Eugene with a glass of water looking surprisingly fresh compared with the middle aged lawyer.

"Ellie! I was just getting to know Mr. Sledge here. Have you had the pleasure?" Mr. York proclaims in his booming southern drawl.

"I believe so," I manage with a grin to Eugene, "How are you this afternoon, Mr. Sledge?"

He smirks coyly, "Fine thank you, Miss Mitchell."

I break eye contact with him and make my way to the coffee pot on the counter beside him. I can't help the catch in my throat being this close to him, even as Mr. York is blathering on about last year's judicial elections. As I pour myself a cup, my wrist grazes his forearm where he has pushed up his shirt sleeve. The contact leaves my skin burning despite the humidity. Grasping the mug with both hands, I remain beside him and rest my back against the counter to face Mr. York.

"Well, I best be getting back to it then," Mr. York tucks his handkerchief into his shirt pocket and perches his half smoked cigarette between his gapped front teeth, "You two try to keep cool. It's hotter than blue blazes and it ain't even May, Lord help us all."

"Good to see you, sir." Eugene nods amiably as Mr. York gives his hand a firm shake.

"You too, son."

Mr. York is scarcely out the door when Eugene subtly reaches over and pinches my side above my hip. I skip over a step, nearly dropping my mug on the floor.

"Eugene Sledge!" I hiss, holding out the cup as a copper trail of coffee drips over my hand and down onto the tiles.

I glance up to see him grinning like school boy and find myself unable to keep a straight face. His smiles are so rare, it makes it difficult for me to look away.

"You are full of yourself, Mr. Sledge." I set the mug down on the counter and nudge his shoulder with mine.

"So it's still Mr. Sledge, huh?"

"Yes, while we are in the office." I reply, reaching for the sugar bowl.

"Fine then, Miss Mitchell. Do you have any plans for tonight?"

I cringe, "Do you remember Harvey and Kitty Lee?"

"I remember Harvey, he graduated with us, right?"

"You know Kitty too. Her maiden name was Brewer."

"Oh yeah, I had senior calculus with her." Eugene leans against the counter on his elbow, playing with a loose string on my sleeve, "She was brilliant."

"Still is. Anyway, she and Harvey got married after he got home from Europe last year." I ladle sugar into my cup, "I know, it's a strange match right?"

"You can say that. Harvey always was a tad…"

"Dense? If the boy had an idea, it would die of loneliness." I bring the cup to my mouth, "They recently moved into their new home. I am obligated to make an appearance at their house warming party tonight."

Eugene nods silently, his gaze drifting to the countertop. Absently, he brushes a few stray grains of sugar off the surface onto the floor. I know social functions haven't been easy for him lately. That night at the Ball prances through my mind.

"Obligated, huh?" He peers over at me with a half grin.

"Kitty is on the Junior League with me."

"I didn't know you were on the Junior League."

"At the behest of my mother. I haven't really felt like saying no to her lately and she has been taking advantage of it." I give a breathy chuckle, "You don't have to come with me, Eugene. It's alright. I will only be there for a moment to give her this mahogany cheeseboard as a housewarming gift. Maybe we can see each other after?"

Eugene clears his throat and stands up straight. He attempts a smile and nods to me, "No, no. Of course, I'd love to come."

"Really? I'm fine if you'd really rather not."

"It might be good to see some of the old crew again." He reaches out and brushes the hair from my shoulder thoughtfully, "Harv was always a good fella'. I'm glad to hear he found himself a nice girl."

"It's interesting. I don't ever remember seeing them even speak in high school." I take another sip from my coffee, his fingers lingering on my shoulder blade.

"Well, we didn't."

Another grin plays at the side of his mouth as he meets my eyes once more. I haven't seen him in such a good mood. As his eyes flit away towards the countertop, I can't help but hope it was wise to invite him. The last thing I want is to watch him disappear again.

We take his car over to the Lee's home after work. Eugene is casually drumming his fingers on the steering wheel as we park behind a line of cars on the side of the street. He inhales slowly, switching off the ignition. I reach into the backseat and retrieve the neatly wrapped cheeseboard.

"You sure you are up for this?" I ask quietly as I study him, desperately trying to read his mood.

He nods clandestinely before getting out of the car, "Of course. I told you I was."

After neatening my hair in the rear view mirror, I tug on my gloves. He opens the car door for me and takes my hand as I step out onto the curb. Offering me a tight lipped smile, his gaze drifts towards the voices and music coming from a ranch style home. I hand him the cheeseboard without a word.

"What do you want to do after?" I ask, straightening his tie and smoothing back the collar on his jacket.

His expression lightens, "I don't know. Would you want to get something to eat?"

"How does ice cream sound?"

"I think that's near about genius, Miss Mitchell."

"Ellie." I smirk, taking back the cheeseboard, "We're not at the office anymore."

He chuckles as we meander under the vivid new foliage lining the neighborhood.

The first person I see after stepping over the threshold is Sidney Phillips. He is chatting with another classmate of ours by the open backdoor, swirling a tumbler of bourbon in his hand. The sick dread of having to talk to him settles in my stomach like a rock. I sense Eugene loosen up at the sight of his best friend. I manage a brave smile as Sidney glances towards us.

"Now who do we have here?" Sidney crows as we reach him.

The two childhood friends grasp hands, "Invited at the last minute. So Mary let you out of planning the big day for the evening."

"We'll be right back to it the minute we leave this place, Gene. Don't ruin my few moments of peace." Sidney chortles. He looks over at me with a congenial nod, "It's good to see you, Eleanor. How have you been?"

"Good, thank you." I reply brightly, only able to meet his eyes for a moment. My heart is thudding so hard, the fringe on the front of my dress is trembling slightly, "Congratulations by the way. I ran into Mary the other day and she said y'all are almost there."

"Only a few weeks to go." Sidney lifts his glass to his lips turning to Eugene, "You got your best man speech typed up yet or what?"

"I thought I'd just wing it." Eugene smirks.

"You wing it and the Missus will have my hide."

Sid looks so cool standing there with his dimpled glass and seersucker sport coat. His curls are tamed back neatly from his forehead. A vision tramps through my mind of how he was the night before he left for training four years earlier. Sidney had ridden his bike to my house, his hair mussed by his baseball cap as he stood by the porch railing. A far cry from the man before me. I am trying not to feel like I haven't changed at all. His sea green eyes graze over me. I clutch the cheeseboard and peer past his shoulder into the backyard.

"Can I get y'all a drink?" He offers abruptly after a moment.

"I'll be leaving y'all to it." I smile, resting my hand momentarily on Eugene's elbow, "I need to find Kitty and get this to the gift table. It was nice to see you again, Sidney."

Sidney nods briefly, taking a swift pull from his glass. Eugene subtly reaches over the small distance between us and grazes his thumb on my side. Though brief, his touch relaxes me before I venture out to the gaggle of women fanning themselves on the patio.

I am beset almost immediately by Mary Houston. Per usual, she is breathtaking in a lemon yellow sundress and white cardigan that offsets her olive skin tone. After pulling me into a light embrace, she takes the offering from me and hooks my arm with hers.

"Now, Ellie, was that Eugene I saw you at the door with?" She croons under her breath, steering me towards the table with the pile of presents, "Please let it be true."

Despite being put on the spot, I find myself unable to suppress a grin, "Yes actually."

"Oh honey," She gives my hand a squeeze as we stop in front of the table, "You do like him, don't you?"

After trying my best to fight a smile, I give in with a light laugh, "Yes, Mary Houston. If you must know, I have really been enjoying his company."

She lets out a soft squeal that we can only hear, "I knew it! I knew he'd be as good for you as you are for him. He has to bring you to the wedding. He just has to!"

I glance down at my shoes briefly with a shrug, "We'll have to see if he asks me."

Honestly, the thought of watching Sidney get married leaves me so confused, I can almost feel my head spin. The rock in my stomach grows heavier. I rub my palms together and plaster a smile on my face.

"Is Kitty serving that punch she promised?" I ask.

"Yes mam," Mary's dark brows lift mischievously, "A word to the wise, she's spiked it something good this time."

I snort, "Perfect."

Sidney Phillips is trying to focus on the steering wheel. He is trying to focus on the evening breeze swirling in from the open window. He is trying to focus on Mary as she is commiserating on the latest debacle concerning seating arrangements.

But all he can see is Ellie resting her hand on Eugene's arm. Even more confounding is Eugene casually reaching over and brushing his fingers against her side.

All he can see is the smoking carnage on Guadalcanal. Dark descending like a cloak as he wrote her by the light of burning ships in the ocean beyond. His words are clear on the stained paper. He still can't believe how detailed his descriptions were to her of the horror on that damned island.

Night after night, waiting for a Jap sniper to wipe him out from history, he replayed that moment on her porch over and over. He remembered how she had inhaled sharply before he kissed her, about the freckle at the hollow of her throat, her bluebell eyes drifting closed as he had grasped her waist. Ellie Mitchell and her calm letters of reassurance rested on the other end of the spectrum from the insanity of combat.

"Did you see how happy Eugene looked?" Mary chirps brightly.

Sidney snaps out of his thoughts, "Huh?"

"Eugene with Ellie Mitchell? I think they make a lovely couple. I sure hope he figures things out soon and snatches her up, don't you?"

Swallowing hard, Sidney grins half-heartedly.

"We'll have to wait and see, darlin'."

Author's Note:

Haha wow, this is starting to look way too much like a situation I was in during college...

ANYWAY, so the plot thickens! I hope yall enjoyed this chapter, it was a fun one to write.

Brie and Absentees: Y'alls reviews were so unbelievably sweet and encouraging, I am thrilled you guys are enjoying the story. I really appreciate that you took to time to say something. It means a lot (: