The McCawleys slept in the next morning. When the family got up they planed their day.
"I don't know about you guys, but I'm going to see the downtown and go to the airbase" said Danny
"Ok then, we are going to see Sandra" his mother replied
As everyone went there separate ways it started to rain. When Evelyn and Rafe got to the hospital Evelyn picked out Sandra right away. Sandra was busy doing paperwork at the desk right inside the door.
"Hey there! Are those the same forms you were filling out when I left?"
"Hi Evelyn. I know you know the right answer to that one," said Sandra without looking up and added "Rafe with you?"
"As always" added Rafe
"One sec and I'll show you around"
As Sandra finished the paperwork Evelyn looked around. It was basically the same from her time there. Of course there were minor changes, new paint, new people, plastic windows, two wards had been changed in to one big ward.
"Ok, all done. So where do you two want to go?"
"I'll go where ever Evelyn wants to go." said Rafe
"It's up to you Ev."
"Let's go to the nurses quarters then. I want to see if something is still there."
"What?" asked Rafe
"Ev, I've never found anything."
"Well, I never wanted anyone to find it."
"Come on then, lets see if it's still there." said Rafe
As the friends walked to the nurses quarters Rafe tried to figure out what Evelyn could have hid all those years ago.
"You guys wait while I go and see if anyone is in there." decided Sandra
As soon as Sandra was out of ear shot Rafe said "Ev? When did people start calling you Ev?"
"Since I met Sandra." replied Evelyn simply
"So tell me. What is in there that you wouldn't let me know about?"
"It might not be there anymore. I'd hate to get your hopes up about it."
"Ev, Rafe! It's all clear"
Once the trio got inside Evelyn told Rafe and Sandra to stay in the kitchen while she got her secret item.
"Sandra, do you have idea what this mystery object is?
"Sort of. It's been nearly twenty years though"
"I'm back. It was still there."
"I'll leave you two alone." volunteered Sandra
As Sandra walked away Rafe got even more desperate to know what his wife was hiding behind her back.
"Pick a hand Captain."
"Put your right hand over your left heart. I always pick left in matters of the heart."
"Here you go."
Once Rafe looked the aged, creased, yellow paper he had a shocked look in his eyes. It was the drawing that he insisted that they got on their first date. Evelyn was in a blue dress with a white cardigan over it. He was dressed in his dress uniform.
"You saved this?!"
"It was the only thing that I wanted to keep for sure of the both of us."
"Where did you stow it at?"
"Come and see."
Evelyn led Rafe past the living room, the office and into the giant dorm of the nurses.
"See that window bench?"
"So?"
While walking over to it she fingered Rafe to follow her. She took off the cushion and pulled off the back to it. Inside was a small, hollow cavity.
"This was my hiding spot. I'm surprised that no one has found it."
"Well, you are a very clever woman."
The couple then left the dorm and went to the desk to say good-bye to Sandra
"When are you guys going home?" Sandra asked
"Most likely the day after tomorrow." answered Rafe
"I take it that you found what you were looking for, Ev."
"Yes I did. In fact it was in the exact same spot that I left it in."
As Rafe and Evelyn were headed out the door Sandra shouted
"Write me! Don't let it be so long before I see you again Ev!"
"Maybe we could get all the girls together again sometime," answered Evelyn
With that Rafe and Evelyn left. Meanwhile Danny waked around the town. Then he said to himself
"Why not go and see the airfield?'
The problem was that he didn't know the way. He asked directions at a café called Black Cat Café that had a wonderful table for two in the window. He then wondered how he would be received at the airbase. Before long he was at the base and a man was standing in front of a parachute hangar. When the man looked up he got a very shocked look in his features.
" Who's there?" asked the man
"Danny McCawley. My father was here during the attack."
"Your dad was just here the other day. Come on in. I'm Goose. The office is over here."
The walk to Goose's office consisted of going threw a long, narrow hallway with ceiling fans and bluish titles on the floor.
"So what did you want to know?"
"Anything that you want to tell me."
"Let's see…he was an excellent fighter, good friend. He also was very quiet and ke[pt to himself, most of the time."
"Really? He was bold to go out with my mother."
"Well, that's different. Ladies cloud the mind"
"That is an odd saying."
"It's the truth though."
Goose talked to Danny about his father for the next 45 minutes or so and then Danny had to leave.
"Thank you for talking to me. I have just one more question. Was he good to my mom?"
"Don't you worry, Danny was always the gentleman of us."
When Danny left it was getting close to when he need to be back so he didn't stop along the way back to the hotel. By this time the rain had stopped when he got back to the room his parents were at the table in the corner looking at a piece of paper and chatting.
"What's that?" Danny asked
"Well hello to you too. Come over here and see for your self." Evelyn said
As he was staring at the paper his father explained
"This is a drawing of your mother and I on our first date."
"Wow! This is really cool. But Dad this is only a lieutenant's marking on your uniform."
"Well, I was promoted to captain right before I volunteered to go on the raid."
"Mom, why weren't you promoted to captain?'
"I would have but I left the service when Rafe came home from the raid."
The discussion went on late into the night. Finally before the family went to be they decided to spend the next day together.