Sunday lunch was full of energy, and Emma felt a certain burst of happiness that she hadn't felt for a long time. As they talked with Marcia, she was almost transported back to a hot summer's day in 1933. But then she shook herself, and with a bright smile, got Ginny into her highchair. Jeffrey was complaining about having mashed potatoes every day, and Serena was talking to Marcia about the best way to braid hair.

Then, as Emma sat down beside Jeffrey and Ginny, she felt something. The first kick! Jeffrey gave her a strange look. "Why is your face like that?" When Emma put his hand on her growing bump, his face lit up too.


It was five o' clock in the morning.

Emma finished mixing her batter and poured a ladeful onto the hot griddle. The edges of the pancake sizzled as the dough spread, and bubbles appeared almost instantly and burst, leaving holes in the batter. She waited until the holes around the edges seemed dry, just as Olivia had taught her, then she scooted the spatula under the pancake and flipped it.

With rationing, ingredients were hard to get. So, when Emma saved up her cards and bought all she needed, she made her special pancakes, as Serena called them. As soon as she smelled the aroma from upstairs, Serena was down in a flash. "When will they be done?"

"Soon. Wanna help?" Emma offered. Serena nodded, and sure enough, before they realised it, they had a whole stack of pancakes.

"Thanks for letting me help. I know it isn't true, but... well... sometimes I think you are like my mama." Serena flushed, thinking that her words were silly.

Emma's heart softened as she smiled at the eleven year old. "I'm very happy you think so." The two girls embraced.


Emma held John Curtis and Ginny's hands as she filed into Godsey's hall. Serena and Jeffrey, along with all of the other school kids sat at the front with the graduating class. Mary Ellen and Erin couldn't get off work, so Emma had brought the kids alone. Elizabeth was valedictorian, and she was fumbling with some notes where she sat. Emma's throat tightened as she remembered the small red head who would tag along. She was so grown up now.

Drew whispered something to Elizabeth as Mrs Fordwick said the opening speech. Then she motioned to Elizabeth. The young woman took a deep breath, put her chin up, and walked steadily up to the podium.

"I want to welcome you to the commencement of Walton Mountain School's class of 1945. Thank you for coming. Wow, it's hard to believe, isn't it, classmates? We're already at this stage in our lives. It seems like just yesterday we were beginning school. Now we're at the end. First off, I'd like to thank our teacher Mrs Fordwick. Through her tireless efforts, she's prepared us for the next chapter of our lives, whatever that may be. We, the class of 1945, would like to thank you, the community, our dearest friends. You're the people who have stood behind us and encouraged us. You've been faithful to us through it all, the good and the bad. Your support means more to us than you'll ever know. Most of all, we'd like to thank our families. Thank you to our parents for the unconditional love and support you've given to us the past 18 years. Thank you to our siblings. Thank you for your advice and being there for us to help us. You've already been through this crazy journey called school, thank you for helping us make the best decisions possible. Thank you for showing us that life doesn't have to be intense and serious all the time. Thank you for showing us the simple joys in a game of tag, a practical joke, or sharing silly memories. Thank you to the rest of our families. Thank you to our family members in Heaven…" Elizabeth choked up, and Emma guessed she was thinking of Grandpa and Curt. "You've…" her voice cracked again and the tears began to fall.

Emma looked directly into Elizabeth's eyes. Elizabeth reached for the tissues and gently blew her nose. She looked up with tear-stained cheeks and continued. "We hope we've made you proud. We miss you more than you know and wish you could be here. To everyone here, we thank you. You've played some part in our lives. We, the class of 1945, can't wait to begin the next chapter of our lives. Thank you."