Hey all! Biggest apologies about the delay of this chapter! I've been busy with school and usually on the holidays I write, but this year I travelled to Italy for 3 weeks! It was amazing as you can imagine! Anyway, without further or do, enjoy!
To alanark: Please don't die. The story does continue!
A huge thanks to KatexReilly and Johanna96 your support means a lot and this chapter is dedicated to you!
May 25th, 1941
I sat in my room looking at the phone. I was cracking my knuckles nervously for the last hour or so. Danny had been begging me to call my family as it was coming closer to our week off and I still hadn't told them we were coming.
"Just do it," Betty said, slamming down her magazine. She hated when I cracked my knuckles nervously.
"You don't know them, they're going to go on about how I've been horrid for not telling them about Danny and I. I don't want to be lectured okay," I told her.
"One lecture, that's better than all this silly fussing," Betty pointed out.
"You're right," I said thinking it over.
"Well go on," she said, picking up her magazine and flipping the pages carelessly.
I hesitantly dialled the numbers of my home, surprised that I still remembered it like my own name even after so many years of not calling regularly.
"Hello," came my mothers voice.
"Hi Ma, it's me," I said happy to hear her voice.
"Charlotte dear, how are you?" she asked.
"I'm good, you?"
"I'm perfectly fine. Is everything okay?" she asked. That was an obvious sign that I hadn't called home enough leaving her to believe that the only time I would is when I was in trouble or something was happening.
"Yeah Ma, everything's fine," I said.
"Well, what's happening?" she asked slowly.
"Well, I have a week off. I was thinking of coming home for the week."
"That's wonderful, you can come and see the new house and the babies," she said happily.
"Yeah, Danny wants to seem them too," I said. I heard her breath hitch.
"Danny?" she asked, "I thought you, uh, you didn't speak?"
"We met again in New York and we've been seeing each other for a bit now." It took her a good minute before responding.
"And you're only telling me now? Charlotte! How could you?" she asked, raising her voice.
"Sorry Ma, I just wasn't sure what to do, you now with Charlie being missing and everything."
"I know, dear," she said softly. "I'm glad you and Danny have found your way back to one another. I knew it was meant to be."
"So um, can Danny stay with us since Matty's living at the McCawleys?" I asked.
"Wouldn't have it any other way!" she squealed with glee. No lecture was insight. I sighed in relief.
"So, we're coming on the first week of June," I told her as I checked the train tickets.
"Wonderful, we'll make up the rooms and call us to tell us the time your coming. Oh my gosh, you'll even be here for Jackson's birthday," she said; I pictured the smile on her face as she thought of her only grandchild. There was a happy pause between the two of us and I realised how much I'd missed home.
"I'm really glad to be coming home Mum," I told her.
"I'm glad you're coming home sweetheart, I've missed you."
June 3rd
"I nearly forgot how hot it could get here," Danny said as we stepped off the train. We were wearing light coats and I had a pair of stockings on, and yet we were still sweating the minute the hot, southern air hit us.
"I now remember why I never wore stockings as a girl," I said as we walked over to collect our bags.
"It's been so long since I've been here," Danny sighed as we picked the bags out of the crowd.
"When was the last time?" I asked.
"When Rafe and I left for basics training," he grinned at me.
"You're right, it's been a while."
We walked out of the Station and into the car park where we were meant to wait for my Mum and Dad. We couldn't find them so contented ourselves by looking at the changes of the town, what we could tell had changed anyway.
"Looks like the got the clock to work again," Danny said as he pointed to the town hall clock.
"It was always working," I told him, slightly confused.
"Not since Ethan and Lindy's wedding it wasn't," he smirked.
"I never noticed," I said staring at the ticking hands.
"Too preoccupied with thoughts of me," he grinned cheekily.
"Do I need to remind you what actually happened at that wedding?" I asked him with a pointed look.
"Sorry," he said, his grin fading.
"Relax Max, I don't really care," I said emphasising my accent for his amusement.
"You still do that so well," he said appreciatively.
"It's one of my many gifts," I said poking my tongue out. Danny rolled his eyes and then proceeded to say something but was cut off by an excited shriek.
"Charlotte!" the yell came. I turned around on my heels to be met by my mother. She was walking, but slightly running, excitedly towards me. In all honesty, this was the fastest I'd ever seen her move. When she got closer to me, she threw her arms around me and kissed my cheek.
"Mum!" I exclaimed.
"Oh it's so good to see you. I'm so excited," she said pulling back. Her hands were running over my face as if she'd forgotten what I'd looked like. She ran her fingers through my hair, frowning when she came to the ends. "You cut it all off," she said sadly.
I sighed, my once long and curly hair that rested on my torso had been lopped off to my shoulders in an effort to keep up with the times.
"It's the fashion Ma," I told her.
"I tried to stop her Mrs. Andrews, but she wouldn't listen," Danny piped up. Immediately she reacted and left me to throw herself onto Danny.
"Oh, it's wonderful to see you too. Both of you together again," she said as she stroked his hair into place as well.
"Ma, we're kind of melting in the heat because of our uniforms, you think we can go home now?" I asked her as stood there admiring us.
"Oh yes, yes, your father's parked in the 5 minute bay, we better go before he gets a ticket."
"They give out tickets here now?" Danny asked. The police were usually very lenient at home, not even a warning was given before.
"Oh yes dear, they're cracking down because of expansion," she said. I shook my head, no understanding.
"What's the expansion?" I asked.
"You too have certainly been gone for a long time," she said laughing. We got into the car and said hello to my father, who like my mother was disappointed about my hair, but none the less happy to see us. He drove off into the town and Danny and I looked around bewildered, so much had changed we hardly recognised it. I stared at Danny as he looked out the window. He'd taken his cap off and the breeze was ruffling every perfectly placed hair into the scruffy mess it was before he joined the air force. I smiled as the vision of him reminded me of all the times we'd gone driving in his pick up truck. When he turned to me grinning, it was like I was 17 again.
As we sat down to afternoon tea that day, we certainly got a lot of questions from my parents. It was an oncoming wave of word after word, and I twisted Charlies ring nervously.
"When did you meet?" my father asked.
"Again," my mother reminded him. I looked to Danny, allowing him to answer.
"Charlotte was at the hall the day my squadron was due to have our physicals, I was looking for Rafe when I bumped into her," he said smiling.
"And by bumped he meant bumped, I dropped my files and everything."
"And then, I kept seeing her places and one night we finally sat down and had a date," he said, not exactly giving them the details of the night we rekindled our relationship. My mother might've had a stroke.
"How wonderful," she beamed, "and then you both were just sent to Hawaii?"
"We didn't know it at the time, and I thought Danny had been stationed somewhere and was ignoring me because he wasn't answering his Long Island number. But when I got to Hawaii, the girls and I went out one night and I saw Danny."
"It's like a dream," my father chuckled.
"What about Charlie, any news?" my mother asked. I froze and I could feel Danny tense up too as he pulled his collar away from his neck. Just then, a knock on the door came. I sighed in relief as my mother excused herself to answer it.
Danny just turned and looked at me.
"I'm sorry," I mouthed as my father took off his glasses to clean them. He shook his head as if to say not to worry about it.
"Where is she?" Matty's voice came as soon as he stepped into the house.
"We're in here," my father called. Matty stomped down the hallway and ran over to me picking me up off the couch I was sitting on.
"Hey Matty," I said hugging him.
"Lil' sis, I've missed you," he cooed as he put me down.
"Matthew Andrews, I swear, if you do not come and help you're pregnant wife get through the house with our son and her bags. I'll divorce you."
He put my down and ran out to the hall to help Abbie.
"I'm sorry," came his voice.
"Every time we go somewhere you leave us," she muttered as she waddled into the room. She was so big for five months.
"Abbie," I smiled.
"Hey Lottie," she came over and hugged me.
"You look wonderful," I whispered into her ear.
"Say it any softer and these people won't know you're actually being nice to me," she replied.
"Excuse me?" I said, I pushed back from her and she raised an eye.
"Danny, my sweet, how are you?" she asked him hugging him too.
"Hey Abs, I'm good."
"So you two," she said pointing between us. "Being all sneaky behind our backs hey?" she asked taking a seat between us.
"We didn't plan it," I said rolling my eyes. Just then, Matty walked in, hand in hand with a now walking Jackson. He'd grown so much.
"Jackson!" I cried. I knelt on the floor and Matty let go of his hand and he walked, hesitantly towards me. When he reached me, he poked my cheek and tried to stick his fingers in my motuh until I pretended to bit.
"Calet," he gurgled. He obviously couldn't pronounce my name yet.
"He knows who I am?" I asked. "I haven't seen him since he was little," I asked them.
"We have picture floating around in the house and a few in his room, he can even identify Danny and they've never met," Abbie explained as Jackson wondered into my hug.
I picked him up and got off the ground taking a seat next to Danny.
"Hey little guy," Danny cooed.
"Danal," Jackson grinned as he looked around to everyone for confirmation. We nodded and he bounced in my lap happily. I passed him on to Danny who looked liked he'd never seen anything more beautiful in the world. After that, nothing he ever held had received more love.
June 7th
We just finished having lunch at Matty and Abbies new house. It was down by a river and it was quite beautiful, however it was a long way from town. Apparently, the apple orchid that had been producing rotten and ill tasting apple juice and it had given Appletree Creek it's name, was now producing the best apple juice in the South making our little town a hot spot. People were moving here from far and wide, and new houses had to be built, hence the expansion.
Abbie and Matty had wanted something closer but nothing was in their price range, so they found the biggest and most affordable block and started building. What they had now, was walls and a roof and some paint, but no furniture. They were still living at the farm while it was being finished but we wanted to see it before we left.
Danny and I excused ourselves to go and take a look around and we wondered down near the river, taking a seat of a fallen tree that acted like a bridge.
"You're right. Everyone is moving on and the town is becoming bigger, when we go to buy a house, we may end up an hour away from everyone we know," he said, smiling softly.
"Don't stress my love, your name is still tied to your father's house. You have a right to buy it back."
"That's true. We'll have to make it our house though. Paint the walls a different colour, get new furniture."
"I'm sure that can be arranged," I told him snuggling to his side.
"Come on, it's to hot for that," he said moving away from me. He was right, but I was offended.
"Fine," I said pushing him gently. It was enough to make his balance tip, but he went flying and had to walk back to the house, dripping.