As Anton turned onto a familiar street, reality suddenly hit Patty. She'd actually done it; she'd married the man her mother had forbidden her to marry. If her father were still alive, he'd have thrown a fit.

"You seem to have gotten very quiet all of a sudden," said Anton. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine." Patty didn't want him to worry.

"Well, here we are." Anton parked in front of his new house. It was made of red brick and had a porch in front with a swing. Patty's eyes widened with pleasure when she saw it.

"I love swings!"

"I thought you might," said Anton. He waited while she tried it out, then reached for her so he could carry her over the threshold.

"You do not know how long I have waited to do that," he told her as he sat her back down.

"As long as I have?" she asked. His response was to kiss her lips.

Later that day, Sharon rode up on her bike. "I'm so glad you're back!" she told her sister and brother-in-law. "Did you have a nice honeymoon?"

"It was perfect," Patty replied. "We got this for you." It was a tiny replica of the Liberty Bell.

"Wow, thanks!" said Sharon. "I'll always keep it."

"How are things at home?" asked Patty.

Sharon sighed. "Mama's sitting shiva for you."

"But I thought she didn't want Ike to know we're Jewish!"

"She told him right before you got married. He was OK with it. She got mad at him for uncovering the bathroom mirror. He said he needed it so he wouldn't cut his face while he was shaving."

Patty had to laugh in spite of herself.

"What does that mean?" asked Anton.

"It means Mama considers me to be dead now," Patty told him.

Anton gasped. "You are not serious!"

"I'm serious. That's really what it means."

Anton's face burned with anger, but he held his tongue.

After dinner, Ike stopped by with baby Sammy.

"Hi, Sammy!" Patty smiled as she took her baby brother into her arms. He grinned back at her and blew bubbles.

"He's been fussy lately," said Ike. "I think he's cutting teeth."

"Soon you'll be eating real food!" Patty told Sammy. "Want to say hello to Anton? He's your big brother now!"

"Come to me, little one." Anton held out his arms, and Patty handed Sammy to him. "When you are older, I will teach you how to play ball."

"I can't stay long," said Ike. "Pearl would kill me if she knew where I am. She ordered me and Sharon not to have anything to do with you."

"Sharon came by earlier," said Patty. "I hope she didn't get in trouble."

"Did she?" asked Ike. "She told us she was going to visit a classmate of hers."

"Please don't say anything to Mama about it!" begged Patty.

"Of course I won't," Ike assured her.

As they were cuddling together in bed that night, Anton and Patty discussed their visitors.

"I still cannot believe your mother would hold a ceremony and pretend you are dead," Anton remarked.

"I can," said Patty. "She refuses to let the past be the past and live in the present."

"It is because of her hatred for me," Anton said softly.

"I'm sorry, Anton," said Patty.

Anton hugged her tight and kissed the top of her head. "Please do not feel sad for me, liebling. I am not the one you should feel sad for."

A couple of weeks later, Anton was at work when a package came in the mail. Patty saw that it was from Germany and decided she'd better wait until Anton got home so he could open it.

He got home about nine thirty that night, obviously exhausted, but he perked up right away when Patty showed him the package.

"It is from my parents and Hannah," he told her. He tore off the wrapping to reveal two boxes. The larger one held a Brownie camera.

"It is my father's," Anton told Patty. "He used to let me take photographs with it when I was a little boy. He sends it to me as a wedding present."

The second box held a tiny wooden carousel with little wooden horses and children sitting on them.

"Oh, it's so cute!" Patty cried.

"There is a card, too." Anton showed it to her. It read:

Dear Anton and Patricia,

We wish you all the best in your new life together. We are so happy for you and hope there is much sunshine and joy in your future.

Kindest regards,

Erickson, Rebecca, and Hannah Reiker