Evelyn woke up later in the morning, when the first few beams of sunlight
filtered in through the old windows. She squinted and blocked her eyes from
the morning light, before yielding to Mother Nature's wake up call and
getting out of bed. She slipped her bathrobe around her still rather
slender body, and carefully tip-toed down the stairs, expecting Rafe to be
asleep, still. To her surprise, he was sitting in the kitchen, sullenly
drinking a cup of coffee and eating what appeared to be extremely burnt
toast.
"You know it might taste better if you put some butter on it," Evelyn suggested, to get Rafe's attention. He looked up.
"Nah, this is. . .fine," Rafe said, gingerly biting into the slice of blackened bread. He tried to eat it without suggesting that it tasted as horrible as it looked. He didn't succeed.
Evelyn laughed at the face he made. "Why don't you let me make you some breakfast?"
Rafe was about to object to the proposal when he looked back down at his plate. Anything had to be better than that. "Yeah, sure. Sounds good. . .very good."
Evelyn smiled again. She went through the cabinets and refrigerator, before turning to Rafe. "You know that there is absolutely no food in this house, right?"
"Well, yeah. That's why I was eating charbroiled bread for breakfast."
Evelyn rolled her eyes. "Well, we have a good number of people coming to Tennessee today, including Doolittle. So it might be a good idea to get food in the house. All the remaining people in Doolittle's Squadron, plus others are coming for Danny's funeral."
Rafe said nothing.
"All right, well I'm going to get dressed, and head down to get some groceries. You can go with me or you can stay here. Whatever you want," she said, and headed back upstairs.
~
Rafe sat alone in his room, again. He wasn't sure if it was healthy, secluding himself like that.
"Well," he reasoned with himself, "nobody else is home, so it's not really seclusion if you're already alone. . .is it?"
He shook his head, not knowing how to answer himself.
Glancing at the clock, he realized it was 11:00. Evelyn would be back from the store soon, and then others would start arriving.
"Probably a good time to get dressed," Rafe mumbled to himself. He had been wearing brown slacks and a white t-shirt, just to look presentable enough to get through the morning. He had to change back into his army uniform for the burial. It was a military service after all, even if it was being held in his own backyard.
Grumbling, he went through his suitcase, which had yet to completely unpack. What was the use? He had to go back to Pearl Harbor in a day or two. No use getting settled at home.
Rafe pulled out his uniform from the bottom of the bag. As he was unfolding it, a small wooden object fell to the ground. He reached down and picked it up. It was the cork from the champagne bottle that he had bought the day he met Evelyn.
"Damn, that hurt," Rafe muttered, remembering his unhappy incident with the cork. He had only kept it because it reminded him of the moment he fell in love with Evelyn. "Well, it's not much use now," he said grimly, putting it on the top of his dresser.
"There I go again, feeling sorry for myself. Why? Because I can't have Evelyn. Who the hell cares? I'm alive. Danny's not. Danny should be. Danny should be alive and he should be the one with Evelyn. Not me. Not me. . ." Rafe yelled at himself. He looked out the window. Evelyn was back, and Red had arrived. For Danny's funeral. "Danny's funeral," Rafe said. "It should be mine."
~
"So how's Rafe been? Red asked, helping Evelyn with bags of groceries.
"He's been pretty quiet," Evelyn answered. "Distant. He woke up last night yelling for Danny."
"M-m-maybe he feels guilty f-for Danny's death," Red suggested, stuttering slightly.
"He does, I think," Evelyn said. "But he won't tell me why."
"Oh. . .here, let me help you," Red said, helping her put the groceries away.
"Thanks," Evelyn said, placing items into cabinets and shelves. She paused. "Red."
"Yeah?"
"Tell me-what happened in China?"
Red instantly looked nervous. "W-w-well, I don't th-th-think that I sh-should tell you that. I think that Rafe sh-should t-tell you."
"But he won't," Evelyn said, frustrated.
"W-well, if he wanted you to know, then he w-would tell y-you."
"Red-"
"Ev, honestly, if I could tell you, I would. But if Rafe doesn't want you to know, then I can't go ahead and tell you. It wouldn't be right."
Evelyn sighed. "Okay."
Red was about to say something when there was a knock on the door. Evelyn looked up. Sandra had arrived. Evelyn quickly got up and opened the door.
"Hi Ev," she said, offering a quick smile.
"Hi. . .come in, sit down," Evelyn said, gesturing for her friend to enter the house. Sandra took a seat at the kitchen table.
"Hey Sandra," Red greeted.
"Hi. . ."
Evelyn finished putting the groceries away, and glanced at her watch. The funeral was supposed to take place in 45 minutes. She decided to go see if Rafe was anywhere near ready.
"Excuse me," she said apologetically, and went up the stairwell.
~
Rafe stared at his reflection in the mirror. He was fully dressed in uniform. Nothing was out of place. He was clean-shaven and his hair was slicked back under his cap. He looked. . .like a hero. He had wanted to be one so badly. Going to England, joining the Eagle Squadron. Well, he was a hero. He had shot down 5 planes in Britain, and 2 smokers. He had shot down 7 planes at Pearl Harbor with Danny. And he had bombed military targets in the Doolittle Raid. He was one of the best, and he knew it. He was, in fact, a hero. But being a hero wasn't all he expected. In fact, he couldn't have cared less. He was a hero-so what? Being a hero wouldn't bring back his best friend.
"Rafe?" Evelyn asked from outside his door.
"Yeah?"
"Can. . .can I come in?" Evelyn asked, almost timidly.
Rafe scanned the room to make sure there wasn't anything he didn't want her to see. He hid the one letter from her that he hadn't burned, and put the champagne cork bottle into one of his dresser drawers.
"Yeah, okay. You can come in," Rafe called.
Evelyn opened the door.
Rafe was taken aback for a moment. For the first time since before he left for the Doolittle Raid, he realized how beautiful Evelyn was. He always knew she was beautiful, but he hadn't given it much thought. But as she stood there in the doorway, that's all that he could focus on. She looked perfect. Her soft brown eyes hadn't lost any of their look of determination and life; Many people turned into submissive broken down wrecks after seeing the things she had, but not Evelyn. . . Her long chestnut colored hair fell in curly cascades down her back. It looked so soft, the way it just fell on her shoulders. There wasn't a feature on her that Rafe wasn't completely blown away by. Even her lipstick was perfect.
"God you're beautiful," he said, before he could stop himself. He immediately regretted saying what he had when he saw Evelyn's shocked expression. . .
"You know it might taste better if you put some butter on it," Evelyn suggested, to get Rafe's attention. He looked up.
"Nah, this is. . .fine," Rafe said, gingerly biting into the slice of blackened bread. He tried to eat it without suggesting that it tasted as horrible as it looked. He didn't succeed.
Evelyn laughed at the face he made. "Why don't you let me make you some breakfast?"
Rafe was about to object to the proposal when he looked back down at his plate. Anything had to be better than that. "Yeah, sure. Sounds good. . .very good."
Evelyn smiled again. She went through the cabinets and refrigerator, before turning to Rafe. "You know that there is absolutely no food in this house, right?"
"Well, yeah. That's why I was eating charbroiled bread for breakfast."
Evelyn rolled her eyes. "Well, we have a good number of people coming to Tennessee today, including Doolittle. So it might be a good idea to get food in the house. All the remaining people in Doolittle's Squadron, plus others are coming for Danny's funeral."
Rafe said nothing.
"All right, well I'm going to get dressed, and head down to get some groceries. You can go with me or you can stay here. Whatever you want," she said, and headed back upstairs.
~
Rafe sat alone in his room, again. He wasn't sure if it was healthy, secluding himself like that.
"Well," he reasoned with himself, "nobody else is home, so it's not really seclusion if you're already alone. . .is it?"
He shook his head, not knowing how to answer himself.
Glancing at the clock, he realized it was 11:00. Evelyn would be back from the store soon, and then others would start arriving.
"Probably a good time to get dressed," Rafe mumbled to himself. He had been wearing brown slacks and a white t-shirt, just to look presentable enough to get through the morning. He had to change back into his army uniform for the burial. It was a military service after all, even if it was being held in his own backyard.
Grumbling, he went through his suitcase, which had yet to completely unpack. What was the use? He had to go back to Pearl Harbor in a day or two. No use getting settled at home.
Rafe pulled out his uniform from the bottom of the bag. As he was unfolding it, a small wooden object fell to the ground. He reached down and picked it up. It was the cork from the champagne bottle that he had bought the day he met Evelyn.
"Damn, that hurt," Rafe muttered, remembering his unhappy incident with the cork. He had only kept it because it reminded him of the moment he fell in love with Evelyn. "Well, it's not much use now," he said grimly, putting it on the top of his dresser.
"There I go again, feeling sorry for myself. Why? Because I can't have Evelyn. Who the hell cares? I'm alive. Danny's not. Danny should be. Danny should be alive and he should be the one with Evelyn. Not me. Not me. . ." Rafe yelled at himself. He looked out the window. Evelyn was back, and Red had arrived. For Danny's funeral. "Danny's funeral," Rafe said. "It should be mine."
~
"So how's Rafe been? Red asked, helping Evelyn with bags of groceries.
"He's been pretty quiet," Evelyn answered. "Distant. He woke up last night yelling for Danny."
"M-m-maybe he feels guilty f-for Danny's death," Red suggested, stuttering slightly.
"He does, I think," Evelyn said. "But he won't tell me why."
"Oh. . .here, let me help you," Red said, helping her put the groceries away.
"Thanks," Evelyn said, placing items into cabinets and shelves. She paused. "Red."
"Yeah?"
"Tell me-what happened in China?"
Red instantly looked nervous. "W-w-well, I don't th-th-think that I sh-should tell you that. I think that Rafe sh-should t-tell you."
"But he won't," Evelyn said, frustrated.
"W-well, if he wanted you to know, then he w-would tell y-you."
"Red-"
"Ev, honestly, if I could tell you, I would. But if Rafe doesn't want you to know, then I can't go ahead and tell you. It wouldn't be right."
Evelyn sighed. "Okay."
Red was about to say something when there was a knock on the door. Evelyn looked up. Sandra had arrived. Evelyn quickly got up and opened the door.
"Hi Ev," she said, offering a quick smile.
"Hi. . .come in, sit down," Evelyn said, gesturing for her friend to enter the house. Sandra took a seat at the kitchen table.
"Hey Sandra," Red greeted.
"Hi. . ."
Evelyn finished putting the groceries away, and glanced at her watch. The funeral was supposed to take place in 45 minutes. She decided to go see if Rafe was anywhere near ready.
"Excuse me," she said apologetically, and went up the stairwell.
~
Rafe stared at his reflection in the mirror. He was fully dressed in uniform. Nothing was out of place. He was clean-shaven and his hair was slicked back under his cap. He looked. . .like a hero. He had wanted to be one so badly. Going to England, joining the Eagle Squadron. Well, he was a hero. He had shot down 5 planes in Britain, and 2 smokers. He had shot down 7 planes at Pearl Harbor with Danny. And he had bombed military targets in the Doolittle Raid. He was one of the best, and he knew it. He was, in fact, a hero. But being a hero wasn't all he expected. In fact, he couldn't have cared less. He was a hero-so what? Being a hero wouldn't bring back his best friend.
"Rafe?" Evelyn asked from outside his door.
"Yeah?"
"Can. . .can I come in?" Evelyn asked, almost timidly.
Rafe scanned the room to make sure there wasn't anything he didn't want her to see. He hid the one letter from her that he hadn't burned, and put the champagne cork bottle into one of his dresser drawers.
"Yeah, okay. You can come in," Rafe called.
Evelyn opened the door.
Rafe was taken aback for a moment. For the first time since before he left for the Doolittle Raid, he realized how beautiful Evelyn was. He always knew she was beautiful, but he hadn't given it much thought. But as she stood there in the doorway, that's all that he could focus on. She looked perfect. Her soft brown eyes hadn't lost any of their look of determination and life; Many people turned into submissive broken down wrecks after seeing the things she had, but not Evelyn. . . Her long chestnut colored hair fell in curly cascades down her back. It looked so soft, the way it just fell on her shoulders. There wasn't a feature on her that Rafe wasn't completely blown away by. Even her lipstick was perfect.
"God you're beautiful," he said, before he could stop himself. He immediately regretted saying what he had when he saw Evelyn's shocked expression. . .
