"It's a beautiful evenin' Annie, would you mind if I joined you?"

Ann looked up from the porch swing where she had been trying to read but couldn't concentrate long enough to comprehend a sentence. Her father had a smile on his face but she could see that there was something on his mind.

"Of course not Dad, have a seat." She smiled and moved over to make room for him.

He walked over to her and sat down before he put an arm around her shoulders. "I had an interestin' conversation with Danny McCawley this afternoon and I thought we could talk about it."

"What did he have to say?" She asked, wondering what it was that Danny said to him.

"It seems that he's taken quite an interest in you. Can I assume that you've taken as much of an interest in him?" He asked her.

"Yes you can." She answered him honestly. "Does that bother you?"

"Heck no honey, it doesn't bother me but it sure does surprise me. He's been teasin' you somethin' fierce since he got home and from what I could see you didn't appreciate it very much." Her father observed. "When did all of that change?"

She smiled. "As far as his teasing me, I didn't like it when we were kids and I certainly didn't like it after he came home. But the thing I couldn't get past was the fact that the boy who used to tease me wasn't a boy anymore. He grew into this young man I didn't recognize and it wasn't the same."

"It never occurred to you that he would look different after four years?" He questioned her gently.

She shrugged her shoulders. "It really didn't because I never thought about Danny while he was away. Sarah talked about him all the time though and I would hear his parent's talking to you and to Mama about how he was doing with his classes and his flying. He didn't get to come home much and when he did, we usually weren't here. So when I might have had the chance to get used to the changes during all of that time just hit me when we went back to Colorado."

"So do you think whatever this is between you and him could get serious?"

Ann felt her face warm. "I think it already has."

He looked into her eyes. "He's promised me that nothin' has happened that shouldn't have. Is he tellin' me the truth?"

"He's kissed me, if that's what you're asking but nothing else." She looked him in the eye. "He's an honorable man Dad and you can trust him."

He sighed. "You know why I'm askin' don't you?"

"Yes Sir I do. You don't want what happened with Danny's parents to happen to us."

"That's right and one of the things that we talked about today was how different it was when his daddy and I were Danny's age. We were here without our folks and things happened that ordinarily might not have. But it's different now because we're all here together and I know that Rafe and Evelyn would be just as upset as their folks were if you and Danny found yourselves in that situation. Am I makin' myself clear?"

"Yes Sir."

"Good. He asked if he could call here so you should expect a telephone call from him later. He also said that he plans on takin' you to the Royal Hawaiian for supper." He smiled at her.

"That's what he wanted to do. He also said that he wanted to talk to you before he asked because he didn't want to have to hide anything."

Her father laughed and Ann wasn't sure what was so funny. "He's a smart boy. When I was courtin' your mama we didn't really tell anyone about it. It was the worst kept secret of the war I think because even though we never said anythin', everyone knew that we were seein' each other. I'm glad you ain't goin' to do that because it's somethin' that Mama regrets sometimes, that we didn't share our happiness at bein' together with everyone else."

"Is it true that you almost eloped?"

He looked surprised. "Where did you hear about that?"

Maybe she wasn't supposed to know. "It was a long time ago and I overheard Mama and Mrs. McCawley talking one afternoon. Mama said that there were times toward the end of your engagement that she was tired of waiting and wanted to forget the church wedding and the reception because she just wanted to be married to you."

"I think the year we were engaged was harder than waitin' through the war. I made it through alive with my body parts intact and the first thing I wanted to do was marry your mama. We could have eloped I suppose, but the McCawley's didn't get to see Rafe get married and your mama knew how disappointed her folks would be if we didn't have a weddin', so we waited."

"Was it worth it?" She asked even though she knew the answer.

"I thought so. The minute I saw your mama walkin' up the aisle on her daddy's arm, I knew all the waitin' had been worth it. And then havin' her all to myself for a week after that made it even better."

"What was that like?" Ann was genuinely curious as was embarrassed when Dad's face flushed and she felt her own face as it warmed again. "I didn't mean that!"

"I know that Annie but I must admit that it was the first thing I thought of." He laughed.

"Dad!"

"That's exactly it honey. I'm your father and it doesn't occur to you that I was your mama's husband first. I understand better that you might know how it feels to care so much for someone and not be able to show them the way you would really want to. But if the person you care for is that special, the time will come when you can show each other how much. Do you understand what it is I'm tryin' to say?"

"I understand."

"I knew you would." He took his arm from around her shoulders before he stood up. "Your mama may want to talk to you about this because I think it took her a little by surprise."

"I don't think it's too much of a surprise." Ann didn't like to contradict him. "I think Mama knew that something was going on the night of the dance, I just couldn't tell her what it was at the time."

"You're probably right, your mama can read all of us like a stack of books." He grinned. "Have you finished your homework?"

"Yes Sir, before dinner."

"Then why don't you head on down to the beach before it gets dark. It's a beautiful evenin' and it seems a shame to waste it."

"Thanks Dad."

"Or better yet she can sit out here on the porch with me so we can both enjoy it." Ann's mother commented as she stood in the doorway.

She hadn't heard the screen door.

"Or you can sit out here with your mama." Dad grinned as he stood up and walked over to her mother. He kissed her cheek and she smiled at him. "You're still the prettiest girl on Oahu." And he went inside.

"Your father certainly has a way with words." She was surprised to see Mama's face flush as she sat down and took Ann's hand in hers. "Dad tells me that Danny McCawley had a talk with him today about you."

"Yes Ma'am."

"Was it Danny that you couldn't tell me about at the dance?" She asked.

"I didn't know how." Ann admitted with a nod. "Everything happened so fast and then Evelyn seemed to show up out of nowhere."

"Were you worried about that?"

"You saw her Mama, she was so pretty. " She sighed. "I can see why Danny might have fallen for her if he'd been in the position to and when I saw her that night I knew that I didn't stand a chance. But it turns out that she is really nice and has been nice to me too. I didn't expect that."

"Looks can be deceiving sometimes and it doesn't help when we look at a situation with our hearts." Mama reasoned. "I liked her from the moment Danny brought her here on Christmas Eve because even though she came with him I could see that she liked you as well. It never hurts to have too many friends Ann."

"I know." She agreed.

"So do you mind if I ask you how you feel about Danny?" Her mother asked. "He seems to be quite taken with you."

"How could you know?" Ann was surprised at her mother's comment.

"I have eyes honey." Mama smiled and squeezed her hand. "When he walked you home from the beach I didn't give it much thought because I could see that there wasn't anything to it. But when we were at Rafe and Ev's for Thanksgiving I could see that something had changed. He didn't seem very happy that day and no matter where you were he seemed to have his eye on you. That struck me as quite interesting and I couldn't help but wonder what transpired to make him so attentive."

"Why didn't you ask?" She wondered.

"Because I knew that you weren't ready to talk about it. But since Danny already talked to Dad and he talked to me, I thought it would be all right if I mentioned it to you." Her mother explained. "You're a young woman now and there are things that you're going to have to start figuring out for yourself, but that doesn't mean that I won't always be here to listen."

"Dad had quite a talk with him." Ann said. "He had quite a talk with me too."

Mama nodded. "I know. He thinks a lot of Danny and knows what a decent young man he is. But it doesn't change the fact that you are our first born and because of that Dad is going to worry a little more about you."

"And you don't?" She asked with a smile.

"A girl's relationship with her father is different than the relationship with her mother. I don't worry so much about you because I remember what it feels like to be a seventeen-year-old girl and because you tell me things that you can't tell your father."

"Is that terrible?"

Her mother shook her head. "Of course not. When you were little you told the both of us everything. But when boys and girls start to grow up it's only natural that boys want to talk to their fathers more and girls want to talk to their mothers. Shelby is starting to get to that age where she doesn't talk to your dad so much and it bothers him but he understands that it isn't because she loves him any less. I must admit though, that when Tom gets to the age that he stops talking to me the way he does now it's going to bother me as well. But that's the way it's supposed to be when you've raised your children right."

"Do you want to know what the hardest thing about all of this is?"

"What's that?"

"For the first time I've realized that I won't always live with you and Dad or Shelby and Tom. And it scares me that after this year I'll be going to college and going out on my own." Ann sighed.

"That's a part of growing up Ann. But just because you won't always live here with us doesn't mean that you won't be part of our family. The wonderful thing about growing up and getting out on your own is finding out what you can do and how much you can handle. When I was your age I was still in Ohio with my parents and never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would end up here, married to someone as wonderful as your dad and have you three. But the Navy needed nurses and they were offering scholarships to college for girls who took nursing as their major. It was the best decision I ever made."

"Was it hard to leave home?"

"It was very hard but times were hard and I needed to do what I could to help out. And if that meant that your grandparents didn't have to worry about paying for my education then that's what I needed to do." She answered.

"I can't imagine ever having to leave here."

"I know honey, but I could never imagine leaving Ohio either and I did. Life had other plans for me than being a Mid-Western girl and life might just have other plans for you than being an island girl. Then when you reach your destination you'll wonder how it is that you could have lived anywhere else. Especially if that destination includes a certain Air Force pilot." She said with a smile.

"Do you think my destination includes a certain pilot?" Ann asked.

"I wouldn't begin to say Ann. But you might be interested to know that Dad had a dream about you and Danny when you were just a little girl and in that dream we watched the two of you get married."

She smiled at her mother even as she felt her face burn. "I thought you didn't believe in dreams."

Mama smiled back at her. "I don't and Dad doesn't either, but he thought it was very interesting at the time. We just figured that it was because of a dream that I had."

"Was it about Danny and me?" Ann wasn't sure if she wanted to know.

She nodded. "It was and it was quite disconcerting when it came true."

Ann could feel her heartbeat begin to quicken. "Would that dream have anything to do with Danny walking me home that afternoon?"

"That's exactly what it would be. But the nicest part of that dream was that I got to see what you were going to look like when you got older." Her mother explained. "And you turned out exactly as I dreamt you would."

"Did Danny?" She was curious.

Mama seemed to think about it before she nodded. "He did, now that I think about it. He's got a startling resemblance to Rafe but he's got Ev's down to earth approach to things. It's a combination that the girls on this base seemed to have taken notice of."

"I know."

"Then you should also know that it shouldn't worry you. Danny wouldn't have begun a serious pursuit of you if any of those girls interested him."

"I know that too. The fact is, he has noticed the looks he's been getting but he knows that it's his uniform the girls are really noticing." Ann told her.

She smiled. "It sounds to me as though the two of you have already done quite a bit of talking. It's a good habit to get into with someone you care for because there is less chance of a misunderstanding going awry."

"Did that ever happen with you and Dad?"

Her mother nodded. "Early on in our relationship we had misunderstanding about Evelyn. We hadn't been seeing each other for very long and I don't know that either one of us knew at that time where we were headed. I was very insecure about the whole thing because Ev was so pretty and it didn't make sense to me at that time how he could prefer me."

"What was the misunderstanding?" Ann had never heard the story before and felt privileged that her mother would tell her something so personal.

"Rafe had been shot down in a fight over the English Channel and we all thought that he was dead. The McCawley's called Dad to tell him and he had to tell Ev. She was devastated by the news and he spent a lot of time with her because it seemed to help ease her grief."

She didn't know how to ask, so she just did. "Were you jealous?"

Mama's face flushed. "I was very jealous and felt terrible because of it. I knew your dad well enough by then to know that he wasn't interested in Evelyn but it didn't stop me from worrying about the time they were spending together. But then Dad showed up late one night after the girls had spotted him with Evelyn at the Black Cat. I think Barbara was trying to be helpful in her own way in telling me that she saw them together even though Ev kept telling me that there wasn't anything to it."

"It sounds a little familiar." Ann smiled.

Her mother smiled back at her before she laughed. "I guess there is something a little familiar about it at that. And it did end well for Dad and me."

"Do you love him the same way you did when you first got married?"

She shook her head. "When you've lived with someone for as long as we have and have had children together that love changes, it has to. When we were newlyweds there was a period of adjustment as there is in every marriage. We needed to learn each others likes and dislikes in a way we couldn't before because we weren't living together. Then when you kids started to come along, we needed to learn how to balance being a husband and wife to each other with our responsibility as your parents. It's always been important to us that we never forget that young couple we were when we first got married and to take care of the different parts of our lives in such a way so that no one suffers. The truth of it is honey is that I love your dad more now than the day we got married."

"It shows. And I think that Dad probably feels the same way about you." She commented.

"He does." Was all she would say before she stood up and offered her hand to Ann.

"You haven't held my hand since I was little and you walked me into my kindergarten class."

"Let's just say that I want to hold my little girl's hand one more time. You're growing up so fast now and before you know it, you'll be out of the nest."

Ann stood up and took her mother's hand.

"Why don't we take that walk down to the beach your dad suggested? It's a beautiful evening for it." she asked.

"I'd like that Mama." She smiled. "We haven't taken a walk to the beach in a long time."

"Off we go then." Her mother smiled back at her and hand in hand they stepped off the porch and took a walk to the beach.