Chapter 53: Trying to evolve
A couple of years later the Maple Leafs win the Stanley cup again and then, less than a fortnight later, the war is over; you're glad you never built a bomb like that, though. It doesn't feel like much of a victory, a whole city of Japanese dead when Hitler's already defeated, not even by the Allies but at his own hand. But you still join the swarming masses in downtown Toronto and drink like the world hasn't ended. Which it hasn't; for you at least.
Two weeks ago the Leafs won the cup but the streets that night in May makes it seem like the hockey celebrations have started all over again; this time with less maple leafs and more union jacks. Still, even though the war has ended, there's no way you'll be telling anyone you're of German heritage. Not even Kate, and you'd tell her anything.
But the war is over and suddenly VicMu is shut down and all the girls are all out of work. The soldiers come flooding back in the hundreds and suddenly the girls that were so upset last week are not so upset anymore.
For you and Kate, though, it's a genuine concern, where you're going to get money. You've got a house now, and bills to pay. Sure, you've got some savings and there will be some war bonds coming back to the both of you, but they won't last very long, not now you're both out of work.
It's when you're both scrambling around for work that Leon tells Kate of a band that needs a lead singer.
It doesn't pay well but when Kate asks you doubtfully, you tell her to go for it. Music was her first love, and you'll never take something she loves away from her. Case and point: Ivan.
You get a job in another factory, signing your 'leave of marriage' documents with a smirk. The pay is much, much lower and the job is not as interesting so you move on to drive a streetcar for a while and you take night classes so you can maybe become a teacher someday. It's a traditional woman's role, and it's one that will keep scrutiny away from you and Kate. And now there's not a whole country being Canada's common enemy, things that people thought were acceptable just last year will soon be thought of abnormal. You pick up some material so Kate can make you some dresses. You're going to miss your pants. In a way, it feels like the end of something, an era where you could hide in plain sight among other women with actual muscles and pants. Now, you're going to need camouflage again, and as tired as you are of hiding, it's better than being in a cell.
When Kate comes home one night with bruising on her wrist, she tries to brush it off, saying whoever grabbed her was drunk but every night after that, no matter what (you cut class a little early when you have to), you wait at the club door for her. You get called filthy names a few times, take a few punches but no one, no one is laying a hand on her that she doesn't want, ever again.
She gets a lot of offers and even a few proposals at the club but she conjures up a backstory eerily similar to Gladys' – war widow with a broken heart. Most men can respect that, and it adds a sense of mystery to her act. You go see her a few times and, despite tin ears, you know she's got something. You can't help but feel sorry for all the other suckers in the joint that will never even know her.
Still, after that one time with her wrists you undress her carefully every night. You thought she'd be mad, that she'd think you didn't trust her to tell you if something happened to her; instead she positively glows under the weight of your scrutiny. It kind of breaks you that she's still not used to someone caring that she's hurt. But the counterpoint to that is that she appreciates your concern and she's very… physical in her display of appreciation. Even though you've been together for years the sight of her still makes your breath hitch, from the moment you wake up and see her lying next to you until your eyes close at night, her body curled close around yours. And you're better at dodging these days so it's pretty rare that Kate has to press ice to an open cut on your face.
You still see most of the factory girls, and you've had Lorna over for dinner a couple of times. You're always careful to move your things into the spare room, to keep up appearances, but one night she tells you, in her tight-lipped way, that she's glad you have each other, and you guess that's the closest you're ever going to get to talking about this with her.
Marco seems lighter, too, now that the war is over and his father has been returned to him. You catch a drink with him at Sandy Shores or the Jewel Box every few weeks and he's seeing someone, steady-like, but he keeps his mouth shut as to who it is. Vera comes in one night though, and ducks back out when she sees you with Marco, so you have a pretty good idea who he's seeing.
Gladys is as much of a permanent fixture as always. Kate's given her a spare key sometime over the years and Sunday afternoons you come home to her cuddled with a book on the couch and a fresh pot of coffee on the stove. It took her a long time to make amends with Gene but she finally has. There's nothing there for her though; she still hasn't dated since James' death and you wish she would. Your life is so much better for the sharing of it, and you're sure hers will be too. But for the meantime you're pleased to have her in your secret world; sometimes you need to talk about your significant other with someone else and no one is as open-minded as Gladys.
And, much like Kate, she has never asked more of you than you can give.
Author's note: finding Canadian history fascinating, we only studied Australia, Japan, Russia and Germany, those being us and the threats to us, I guess. Our curriculum was totally up-to-date.
Only a couple of chapters left. Sorry about this. My brain is less user-friendly.
