"I am sorry." Fritz's speech was interrupted by a paroxysm of coughing. "I would love to go to the barbecue with you, but I am very ill and would hate to pass my germs on to the others."

"You do sound ill." Jo could hear how weak his voice was. "Are you running a fever?"

"I do not know, but my head hurts and my throat is sore. I will make an appointment with the doctor if I am not feeling better by Monday."

"What about the boys?"

"They are fine, so far. They are staying with Mrs. Swanson for a couple of days." Mrs. Swanson was a kind, elderly woman who lived a couple doors down from Fritz and occasionally served as an emergency babysitter.

"You sure are lucky to have her," Jo remarked.

"Indeed, I am." Fritz coughed again. "I do not know what I would do without her."

"Well, i sure hate that you're sick." Jo had been looking forward to visiting the Bohmkes with Fritz.

"Ach, it is nothing. In a few days, I will be good as new. I hope you have a nice time with your friends."

"Thanks, but it won't be the same without you."

If Jo hadn't already promised Teddy and Sybil she'd go to the barbecue, she would have considered just not going. She felt guilty about leaving Fritz behind, but it was too late to change her plans now.

With a sigh, she got ready and drove to the Bohmke home. She saw that the family was gathered outside and Reverend Bohmke was cooking on a grill. Little Dieter.

She had to swallow a lump in her throat.

She parked and walked up to the group. The wind lifted her hair from her shoulders so it trailed behind her. She shivered, thankful she was wearing a warm jacket.

"Jo, you made it!" Teddy, who'd been chatting with Sybil, smiled. "Where's the old fogey today?"

Jo bristled.

"Don't call him that! He isn't even forty yet. He couldn't make it today because he's sick."

"I'm sorry to hear that," said Sybil. "I'm glad you could make it, though. This is my Mom and Dad, and my brother, Oliver."

"How do you do, darling." Mrs. Bohmke was average sized. She was stylishly dressed, and her head was covered with loose, gray curls. "I'm Carolyn, and my husband's name is Dieter."

Reverend Bohmke looked up long enough to acknowledge her presence.

"Pleased to meet you. These burgers are almost done."

I knew you when you were a little boy.

"So you're Sybil's friend from school." Oliver spoke for the first time. He had medium brown hair and friendly blue eyes. He's cute!

Jo was immediately flooded with guilt.

"Right, I'm Jo."

Oliver's eyebrows went up.

"And you're dating a professor?"

"Well, yes. Fritz Bhaer. We've been going out for a few months now."

Oliver smiled. His teeth were perfect.

"Lucky guy."

Jo flushed, not sure what to say.

Sybil jabbed her brother in the side with her elbow.

"Cut it out, Ollie. She's taken."

"I was merely stating a fact," Oliver protested.

Jo suddenly thought of Rosalyn and wondered what she'd think of Oliver.

"Grub's ready," Reverend Bohmke announced.

Everybody grabbed buns and selected the toppings and condiments they wanted. Then Reverend Bohmke said a brief prayer, and they all started eating.

"Sybil told me you were born in Germany," Jo said to Reverend Bohmke.

"Why, yes, I was." He wiped his mouth with a napkin. His mannerisms so reminded Jo of Werner that she felt as if she'd briefly stepped back into that life. "Grew up in England and attended university in the states. That's where I met my lovely Carolyn."

"I remember it like it was yesterday." Mrs. Bohmke got a dreamy look in her eyes. "I was brand new on campus. I didn't know anybody, and I was so confused! Then I saw this young man with golden hair and dimples. Everything about him was just so neat. I thought he was the best looking young man I'd ever seen."

"She asked me where the library was." Reverend Bohmke smiled fondly, remembering. "She looked so fresh, so innocent. I knew right away I never wanted to let her go."

"A couple of weeks later, he surprised me with tickets to a John Denver concert." Mrs. Bohmke continued the trip down memory lane. "We had so much fun. I knew I'd never forget that special night."

"Sybil mentioned your parents shared a house with another couple when they moved to England after the war," Jo remarked.

"Yes. The Baumgartners." Reverend Bohmke took a sip of soda. "My father and Reverend Bohmke were very good friends. They moved back to Germany before I was old enough to remember them very well. I know my father always exchanged letters and cards with them, but to my knowledge, they never met up in person again."

"Sybil was our surprise baby," Mrs. Bohmke put in, still caught up in the past. "Our oldest was already in high school when she came along. I thought I was going through the change. It was such a shock to me when the doctor told me that wasn't the case at all."

"Sybil was a special gift from God." Reverend Bohmke continued his wife's reverie. "I'd always wondered what it would have been like if we'd had a little girl. Then all of a sudden, she was here, and my dream became a reality."

"You mentioned your father exchanged letters with Reverend Baumgartner," Jo interjected. "Did he ever give you updates on what was going on with him and his family over the years?"

"Why, no. Why do you ask?"

Jo shrugged.

"Just curious. That's all." She knew the subject was closed, at least for now.