1942 was a completely different year.
To start with, Mary Ellen had to adjust to being a single mother with a three year old son. Curt's death had knocked her, and knocked her hard. Emma and Ben worked hard to save up money to build a house of their own. The couple had been trying to have a baby, but Emma just couldn't get pregnant. More than once she ended the day crying into Ben's shoulder. They both wanted a child so bad.
John Boy and Jason had joined up to fight, so they weren't at home anymore, instead they were stationed at Camp Lee. Jim Bob was only eighteen, but he also expressed interest in joining up. No one knew when he would. Ben often asked Emma if he should join the Navy. Men were starting to give him looks, for being twenty one and still having not enlisted now that America was fully involved in the war.
Emma woke up without Ben at five. Her heart chilled at the thought of him gone this early, what on earth could he be doing? She slipped out of bed and got dressed quickly. She felt tears in her eyes when she didn't see the truck. Knowing she couldn't go back to sleep, Emma padded up onto the porch, through the door, and into the kitchen. Why not make breakfast for whoever was home? John, Olivia, Grandma, Mary Ellen, Erin, Jim Bob, Elizabeth, John Curtis and herself. It felt so empty in the normally full house.
Elizabeth appeared on the stairs, her face in deep thought. "I'm scared, Emma. I'm scared for the future of John Curtis, and any young man. I'm scared for Drew." Her voice was soft and almost a whisper.
Emma rubbed her forehead. "I know honey. We just gotta keep hoping that that the war will end soon, no matter how tough and scary everything seems." She poured her little sister a cup of lemonade.
"Thanks, Em." Elizabeth sipped at the sweet drink. "You look tired. I hope you haven't been staying up too late." The sensible young woman remarked.
Emma sighed and sank onto the bench. "I just can't... well, I'm not feeling well." Elizabeth nodded. "And I don't know where Ben went."
Elizabeth hugged her sister. "It's all right. You know we'll always be here for each other."