Winter

Tommy really was trying to be nicer to Arthur. While he still didn't like the idea of having yet another sibling—one, especially, who never did anything wrong—he had to admit that they did have a couple things in common…mostly one hated parent. He had hated Hugh while Arthur hated his mother. He was also forced to admit that it was nice having someone close to his age who wasn't Warren or the rest of that group. Someone who could easily be dragged to dance halls, who'd be able to legally purchase liquor. His mother had often suggested he spend time with John and while John was nice enough, no one could ever call his cousin fun, even as a child. Tommy longed for the days when he would no longer have to rely on other people and careless bartenders.

The fact that Arthur so readily agreed to go out with him only told him that someone must've been pressuring that young man just as much as himself. Or Arthur was lonely but Tommy dismissed that idea as unlikely.

The dance hall was livelier than usual, the band was better. The floor was filled with dancing couples. Men and women still hoping for partners sat at the tables along the walls while couples lined the bar, refreshing themselves and catching their breaths. A slight haze of smoke hung over their heads almost imperceptible in the dim light.

Tommy immediately pushed Arthur to the bar. "You're paying, right?" He flagged down the bartender. "Two Rolling Rocks."

Arthur sighed. "Fine."

"Two each," Tommy added.

The bartender returned with their drinks and Tommy immediately took a long swig of his as he scanned the room for familiar faces. A young woman caught his eye and, at once, pushed her way toward him.

"Tommy, you're here." She gave a slightly tipsy smile as her gaze landed on Arthur. "Who're you?"

"Betty, this is my brother Arthur."

"Arthur? Then why'd you always call him Henry."

"I've never called this one Henry," Tommy replied. "This is my half-brother."

"Stepbrother," Arthur corrected. "We're not actually related."

"Right. I have so many half siblings and step siblings, it's getting harder and harder to keep them all straight." Tommy looked down the length of the room. "Is that Warren down there?"

Betty turned her head. "Looks like it. And that must be his new girl he's with." She took a sudden step close to Arthur. "Do you have a girl?"

Arthur tried to back up but was blocked by the bar. "N-no."

Tommy watched Warren and the young woman, saw the way she smiled at him, the way he lightly touched her arm. Memories of that one night came unbidden into his mind. Warren had apologized for shoving him to the ground but he knew it wasn't an accident. He watched the couple together, growing steadily angrier, until Warren stepped away. "I'll be right back."

"You're leaving me?" Arthur asked.

"Don't be such a girl. I said I'll be right back."

"Oh, don't you worry," Betty said sweetly. "I'll keep you company."

Arthur looked to him for help but Tommy ignored him as he pushed his way across the room to where the young woman now sat alone.

As he came closer, he thought the woman looked uncomfortable—not an Arthur-level of discomfort—but still not entirely at ease. "Hi, you look miserable," Tommy said, sliding into the seat recently vacated by Warren.

The woman laughed. "I promise I'm not miserable. This just isn't my favorite place in the world. I usually prefer somewhere a bit quieter…more intimate."

"You do know that you can always leave, right? The door's right there."

"And abandon my date? It is tempting."

Tommy held out a hand. "I'm Tommy."

"June," she replied, shaking it.

"Well, June, it is awfully cruel of your date to drag you here against your will and even more cruel to abandon you to the noise."

"It's alright. I'm actually here because I lost a coin flip but don't you worry. I'll get him back later."

Tommy leaned in closer. "You know what would be a good way to get back at him?" He winked.

June playfully shoved him. "Absolutely not. I should slap you for even asking."

"I was only going to suggest a couple days of cold shoulder. I'm not sure what you're insinuating but you can leave right now with that dirty mind."

She had been in the middle of taking a drink and briefly choked. "Stop it," she said, laughing.

"And, actually," Tommy continued. "I think that would be a terrible way of getting back at him as you'd likely only confuse him. Men aren't so great with the subtle."

"I wasn't…I didn't mean…I wasn't insinuating doing it with him." Her cheeks blushed pink. "And I wasn't insinuating at all. You were the one insinuating. Well, you were making me insinuate. Oh, go away."

"How about we start over?" Tommy held out his hand again. "Hi. I'm Tommy."

She took his hand. "June."

"It's very nice to meet you, June."

"You're very sweet but you should know that I'm seeing someone."

"Are you? I'm not calling you a liar but all I see is a lovely young lady completely abandoned and alone."

June lightly touched his arm. "You're a lot, do you know that?"

Tommy smiled but the smile faltered at the sight of Arthur hurrying toward them.

"Can we go?" Arthur asked.

"I'm busy."

"I want to go."

"You can go then," Tommy replied.

"No, you should go," June said suddenly. "My date's on his way back. He was just in the restroom, you know."

Sure enough, Warren was slowly making his way back to them, stopping several times to chat with acquaintances. Tommy didn't think he had seen them yet.

"Alright." He leaned forward and kissed June on the cheek. "Maybe I'll see you again?"

"It's a small world," she replied. "Anything could happen."

With that, Tommy started pushing Arthur toward the door, eager to get away before Warren spotted him. "How'd you get along with Betty?" He asked as they left the building.

"She was…she just kissed me out of nowhere, no warning or anything," Arthur replied. "And not a nice peck either. It was right on the lips."

Tommy laughed. "And what's so bad about that?"

"It's just…I could've used a bit of warning, that's all."

Tommy stopped walking abruptly and turned to face him. "You've never been with a woman before, have you?"

"Of course, I have." Arthur spoke the words so quietly that Tommy could hardly hear them.

"No, you haven't. And you're older than me."

"It's not my fault. There's no girls in Philadelphia."

"Really? None at all?"

"None that my mother approves of," Arthur replied bitterly.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Tommy asked. "You know you don't have to tell your parents everything." There were hundreds of things he never even considered telling Kate.

Arthur started walking again, at a quicker pace than before, and didn't reply.

Tommy could tell that he was upset and suddenly felt guilty despite not knowing precisely what he had said that was so wrong. "I think you just need a bit of practice and you'll be fine," he said. "I mean Betty seemed to like you enough. And if you don't like Betty, there's hundreds of other skirts out there. I'll set you up with some."

"Mother always had very strict rules about who I was allowed to spend time with."

"Then it's a good thing she's not here." Tommy couldn't imagine growing up in such a strict environment. Sure, Hugh had his own rules that had to have been followed at all times. Those mostly consisted of: no mess, no noise, no arguing, and all meals at their appropriate hours. But it never mattered who he spent time with. Even when his mother and Cal made it clear that they disliked his group of friends, he still wasn't forbidden from seeing them.

"Do we always have to go to a dance hall?"

"Where else do you hope to meet a woman?"

Arthur shrugged. "Literally any other place?"

"Nah, dance halls are really the only place," Tommy replied. "Trust me. I've been sneaking into them since I was fifteen."


Cal couldn't sleep. He hadn't received a letter from either Fabri or Lelia in some time and he couldn't help but worry. He knew that war may not have broken out yet—according to every newspaper it was creeping closer by the day—but even without that particular worry, their marriage seemed to be slowly falling apart. It was hard to sit back and watch it all happen particularly as he knew he owed them both a great deal. They had always been there for him when he needed them and now…

"There's not much ye can do though," Kate said sleepily one night after he shook her awake to voice his concerns. "Just keep writin' and hope Fabri comes to his senses." She sighed. "I cannot believe the stubbornness in that man."

"What if something happened?"

Kate twisted in the sheets to look at him. "What could possibly happen?"

"I don't know." There were many possible reasons why they had stopped writing ranging from both being too busy at the moment to war breaking out despite not being mentioned in any newspaper. "I should go over there and see for myself."

"No, ye need to stay here."'

"Kate, I was only just—"

"I don't want ye to go that far," she said. "Please."

Cal brought an arm around her. "I won't go then. It was only a thought."

"Hm." Kate nestled against his chest, her eyes closing.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." She kept her eyes closed.

"Kate?"

She opened her eyes. "I'm a bit tired," she said. "Probably because ye woke me in the dead of night to have a conversation that could've waited until mornin' and then ye kept talkin' to me when I'd like to be sleepin', but other than that, I'm fine."

"I'm sorry," he replied. Cal tightened his grip on her. "I do think you do too much during the day."

"All the more reason ye should be lettin' me sleep at night."

"Or you could slow down a bit. You're not as—" He stopped abruptly.

"Not aswhat? Ye better finish that sentence carefully or ye'll be spendin' the remainder of the night on the sofa."

"Not as…" His voice trailed off. "Um...I love you?"

Kate patted his arm. "I'm just messin' with ye," she said. "Ye do know that if I slow down, the family will fall to pieces."

"It won't fall to pieces."

"Really?"

"Well, it might. But you should still take the risk once in a while."

"Ye know what I'd really like?"

"What?"

"I would like a husband who lets me sleep in peace."

"I can do that." Cal kissed her head. "Goodnight. We'll talk more in the morning."

"Hm..sure…we can…" Kate murmured her reply as she was already returning to sleep.


Pat hadn't seen Helen hovering around lately and he wondered if John had finally managed to break things off with her. He also assumed that John hadn't yet worked things out with Dottie as he was still moping around the house, rarely leaving it except for work. Sarah told him that John needed more time and to let him be, but Pat doubted he would be able to turn things around if left to his own devices. Their son seemed to have fallen into the bad habit of giving up.

Unable to contain his curiosity a moment longer, Pat cautiously brought it up. "I haven't seen Helen around lately." They were both in the basement, moving items around, and trying to look busy. Sarah had asked them to make the area more comfortable for the next time they had to sit down there during a bad storm. Pat didn't believe that anything would make the rat slab floor and spider-infested corners more comfortable—at least nothing they could afford—but he knew he had to make an effort nevertheless.

John shrugged. "I told her I was out of the country."

"Ye did not."

"I'm in the middle of a world tour. I told her that you and mom wanted me to enjoy all the historic landmarks before war broke out and they were destroyed. I'll be back in two years. Unless the war starts and then who knows how long I'll be away."

"John, ye shouldn't have done that. And it'll never work anyway. She'll see ye about."

"Not if I look around carefully whenever I go outside."

Pat looked at him. "Does that mean ye spoke to Dottie then?"

There was a brief silence as John pushed a box from one side of the room to the other. "No."

"So that explains why yer still so unhappy," Pat replied. "Ye need to speak with her otherwise yer makin' yer misery yer own fault."

"No, it's…" John hesitated. "I thought we were friends and now I don't even matter enough to speak to or even see. Why should I go out of my way to fix things when she's not interested in doing so herself?"

"Because ye love her?"

"It doesn't matter." John pushed the box back to its original spot. "She's out of town right now visiting grandparents and I don't know when she'll be back."

"Hopefully before your world tour is over with."

"No, I know this is real. Her family makes her visit her grandparents every other year or so," John said. "She always hates having to go."

"Well, when she does come back, yer goin' to be speakin' to her?"

"Maybe. Probably. I don't know."

"Dad?" Eileen called down from the top of the stairs.

"We're down here," Pat replied.

"Are there spiders?"

"Only a few. Yer brother's chased all the big ones away."

"Alright." Eileen carefully crept down the stairs, keeping a close lookout for arachnids. "Can we go camping?" She asked the moment she reached the bottom step.

"No," Pat replied at once. "Wait, why are ye askin'?"

"Albert Davis went camping with his family last weekend and now he won't stop talking about it."

"That's hardly a reason for us to do it."

"He also says that I wouldn't be able to handle it."

"That's still not a good reason."

"Oh, come on. We can cook over a fire and sleep in a tent and go hiking. It'll be fun. And it'll cost like nothing at all. Perfect vacation."

Pat tried to think of an excuse not to go but nothing was coming to mind. The rational part of his mind knew that she was making sense. It would be a vacation they could actually afford. But the thought of sleeping on the ground at his age was unpleasant. "I don't know…"

"I'll go ask mom." Eileen immediately turned to run up the steps.

"Eileen, ye can't just—" But she was already gone.

"I don't want to go camping," John said quietly.

"Me neither," Pat replied. "I wouldn't worry too much. There's zero chance yer mother's agreein' to sleep on the ground."

"I think she'll agree."

"Really? Yer mother?"

"Of course. Eileen always gets her way."

"She's askin' to sleep on the ground…outside. We own a home for a reason. It makes absolutely no sense givin' it up for a few days."

"You better start looking into tents," John said. "If Eileen wants to go camping, we're going camping and hiking and cooking over a fire and even sleeping on the ground."

"God, that all sounds awful. It's probably too late to put her up for adoption, I suppose," Pat mused. "Well, if it comes down to it, yer comin' too." If they were going to suffer, they would all suffer together.

"Can I set myself up for adoption?" John replied.

Pat laughed. "No one would want ye." He looked around the basement, looking the same as before. "I think this is as comfortable as this basement is goin' to get." He supposed they could always carry pillows down with them the next time they needed to use it but that was likely it.


"Kate?"

She opened her eyes to see Cal looking at her. "Hm?"

"Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine," she replied. "Why're ye wakin' me? What time is it?" She looked around the room at the sunlight streaming in through the window. It was much too bright for early morning.

"It's nearly nine."

"Oh." Kate sat up. "I didn't mean to sleep in so long. I don't believe I've ever slept so long before." Knowing that she had missed the first few hours of the day was a strange feeling as though she had traveled forward in time.

Cal sat beside her. "You probably needed the sleep."

She thought of how Hugh would've literally dragged her from the bed and smiled. Life had changed so much.

"What's that smile for?"

"I'm just thinkin' how lovely it is that ye let me sleep in," she replied. "Hugh never would have allowed it."

"That man deserved worse than he got," Cal said quietly.

"Perhaps." Kate brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. She regretted bringing Hugh up as he was the last thing she wanted to talk about in any depth. "Did the kids eat?"

"Even Evy can pour herself a bowl of cereal."

She looked at him in surprise. "Really? Evy?"

"I cleaned up the mess afterward but she did manage to get a few pieces of cereal and a bit of milk into the bowl."

Kate laughed. She had suspected that Evy was going to be an independent child from nearly the moment she was born and, thus far, her suspicions were proving correct.

"Alright, here's what's going to happen," Cal began. "You are going to take it easy today and I will take care of everything that needs to be done."

"Really? You?"

"If Evy can pour herself some cereal, I can handle a few chores."

"It's laundry day."

"Not a problem."

Kate looked at him. He seemed so earnest. "You wouldn't be offerin' if ye knew what laundry day entailed."

"I'm sure I can handle it. You will need to tell me how to use that…the machine."

"It's a wringer washer."

"Right, the wringer washer."

"Okay, then." She smiled. "First, ye have to fill the washin' tub with hot water. Ye can take it straight from the tap if ye let it run a bit first. But if the clothes look extra dirty, ye'll want to boil some on the stove. Don't put too much water in the tub or it'll make a mess. Usually, 12 to will suffice. Once ye get yer water in, add a bit of soap, turn it on, and wait until it suds up nice. Then ye can put the clothes in. Make sure ye don't overload it or ye'll burn out the motor and the whites need to be in their own separate load. I always do those first. Now ye don't need to hover over it while it's washin' but ye should still check it every few minutes to make sure it's runnin' alright. I'd let it run about a half hour but only fifteen minutes for anything lookin' fragile."

"Sounds simple enough."

"I'm not finished yet," Kate said. "After ye've run it, ye need to turn on the wringer on top and run each item through. Be careful of any buttons and definitely watch yer fingers. It'll break them right off."

"The buttons or my fingers?"

"Both. Now, once the items are wrung through, put them in a basket so ye can drain the water in the tub. I usually use smaller buckets and make multiple trips to keep the weight down but ye probably won't need to use as many. I also usually dump the water outside as I've never known if it could go down the sink and I've always been too afraid to try. Once the tub's empty, wipe it out and then fill it once again with more hot water. Just make sure ye close the drain first or ye'll find yerself in trouble. Put the clothes back in, turn it back on. Ye won't need to run it as long this time as yer just rinsin' the soap out…maybe fifteen minutes or twenty for each load. Then it's the wringer again and then, finally, ye carry everything outside and hang on the line to dry."

"Doesn't sound all that difficult," Cal said, his voice sounding slightly less certain.

"Not one bit," Kate agreed. "Ye'll also want to make sure ye empty out the water again at the end. And ye'll want to mop up any ye spilled."

"I can do that."

"If ye have the wringer on, make sure yer right there watchin' it. I don't want any of me children losin' an arm to it," she continued. "Altogether, I'd say it shouldn't take ye more than five or six hours if yer diligent."

"Not a problem."

"Oh, my sweet husband." Kate kissed his cheek. "Yer goin' to be in for such a shock. Speakin' of which, be careful to keep clear of the electrical cord if yer hands are wet, otherwise ye'll get a bit of a jolt."

Cal sighed. "Got it."

She spent the rest of the morning curled up on the sofa, a book on her lap and a hot cup of tea in front of her. It was nice to do absolutely nothing. The younger children were at school—it was Evy's first year—while Tommy and Arthur were out, hopefully staying out of trouble, which left the house peaceful and quiet.

As lunchtime neared, she made herself a sandwich and a second one for Cal. She hadn't seen him since she woke that morning so she left his lunch sitting on the table where he could find it later. She wondered how he was doing with the laundry and briefly considered seeing for herself but he had seemed so confident. She didn't want him to think she was checking up on him.

It was mid-afternoon when she saw him again. "How're ye enjoyin' laundry day?" Kate asked with a smile.

"It's been wonderful." His shirt was wet and he looked tired. "I have a surprise for you."

She followed him to the laundry room, stopping abruptly in the doorway. Her wringer washer was gone, replaced by something large and boxy. "Where's my wringer washer?" She asked. "And what in Heaven's name is that?"

"That is an automatic washing machine," Cal said proudly. "It washes the clothes, rinses the clothes, and then spins the excess water out, all by itself."

"My wringer washer did all of that. Except the spinnin' part."

"Kate, you don't need to fill it with water or change it out before rinsing the clothes. It does all of that on its own."

"Oh." She stepped toward it and ran a hand along its metal surface. She was certain it must've been terribly expensive. "We really don't need it."

"No, there's nothing we need more," Cal replied. "I don't know how you managed doing laundry that other way for so long but, honestly, it's barbaric. And now that wringer thing can go back to its original use as a torture device."

"Ye pinched yer fingers in it, didn't ye?"

"Twice," he said. "I don't know how you still have all ten fingers."

Kate held up her hands to show him. "It's called bein' careful."

"Well, none of that matters. You're been overworking yourself for so many years and I think you've earned this."

She looked at the machine once again. It was so extravagant, so unnecessary. She thought of Sarah and Pat who carefully counted their savings every night, who documented every purchase, no matter how small, and felt guilty.

"Do you want me to return it?" Cal asked.

"Ye do that and I'll divorce ye. I'm not goin' back to that other way." She decided she would just let Sarah use it whenever she liked. Kate kissed him. "Thank ye. I love it."

Spring

Sarah could not believe that Pat had agreed to go camping, particularly as he hadn't spoken to her about it first. It was a terrible idea as they were not a camping family. Sure, John spent most of his childhood outdoors but he never chose to sleep in a tree.

She looked around at their campsite and sighed. It was a small clearing towered over by several ponderosa pines, sending their sharp, spicy fragrance through the air. A scattering of white yarrow and pink bitterroot covered the ground. An unseen squirrel chattered as some large bird circled overhead. Despite the gray sky, it was a lovely day and it was a lovely park and Sarah would've loved it even more if they were only there for lunch and no longer.

It had already taken them two hours to set up the borrowed tent—borrowed without instructions because Pat hadn't thought to ask for them. She was fairly certain that they set it up incorrectly as they found themselves with two pieces leftover but it hadn't fallen down just yet.

Now Pat and John struggled over the fire. It had been an hour and all they had managed to create so far was a bit of smoke. They had just dismantled the pile of kindling and were starting over.

"You can't stack them like that," John said. "You have to make a teepee out of them."

"How would ye even know that? Ye've never built a fire before," Pat replied."

"I saw a picture once."

"Oh, ye saw a picture, did ye?" Pat shot back. "That's not enough wood. The fire will burn through it in a second."

"What fire?"

"Maybe it's the wrong type of wood?" Sarah suggested helpfully. She hated watching them argue. She felt a sudden prick and slapped her arm a moment too late. Why were there mosquitoes? She had thought it'd be too early in the year for them.

"What other type of wood is there?" John asked.

"I don't know…maybe the type that lights."

"If yer talkin' matches, we have plenty of those," Pat said. "We just can't get anything else to catch." He added another stick to the teepee and the entire pile fell over.

"Just let me do it," John snapped. "Go away."

Pat stood up. "Fine, then. Ye are the expert here." He went to join Sarah.

Sarah tried to give him her most displeased look. "I hate you so much for this," she said.

"What did I do?"

"You agreed to go camping."

"I did not. I told Eileen no."

"Eileen told me that you said it was okay. Oh." Sarah suddenly realized that Eileen had lied to both of them. "That little…let's not tell your sister that our daughter outsmarted us."

"Us? She outsmarted yerself," Pat replied.

Sarah swatted at another mosquito. "I wish we could do something about these mosquitoes. They're eating me alive."

"There's no mosquitoes. It's too early for them."

"Well, something's biting me," she snapped.

"Are ye sure?" Pat took hold of her arm and looked at it closely. "Maybe yer imaginin' things."

Sarah pulled her arm free. "You should know that you're dangerously close to being fed to the fire right now."

"What fire?"

There was a sudden shout and they both turned to see small flames licking up the teepee of kindling. John carefully placed a larger piece of firewood on top.

"I knew we could do it," Pat said.

John shot him a look. "We? I did it. You only spent an hour knocking everything down."

Sarah looked up at the sky and wondered if it was getting dark. The wind might've been picking up as well. "I think it might rain so we should probably eat now," she suggested. "I know we're not getting the fire going a second time."

"That's likely a good idea," Pat agreed. "Be right back." He left to fetch the cooler of hot dogs from the back of the car.

John sighed. "Once again, we?"

Eileen came running up. "I found a trail and it leads down to this little creek and can we go swimming?" She asked, slightly out of breath.

"Swimming? It's a bit too cold for swimming."

"Wading then."

"I'll go with you later," John replied as he added another piece of firewood.

"Unless it's storming." Sarah looked up at the sky once again. "I'm not having either of my children struck by lightning or swept away."


True to his word, Tommy did set him up on a date with a young woman. And, after the way it went, Arthur believed it would be the last time it happened. He supposed it wasn't the worst date in the history of dates—no one died—but it certainly didn't go well. He didn't know precisely what he was doing wrong and so had no idea on how to fix it. Arthur spent quite some time fighting with himself on whether it was a good idea to ask someone for advice or whether it was better to keep his anxieties inside of his head.

Finally, he mustered the courage and found his father who was in the middle of checking over Henry and Bridget's school work while they stood nearby, watching anxiously.

"Can I speak with you?" Arthur looked at his two half-siblings and wished they weren't in the room.

"Sure." Cal looked at them. "Your work looks good enough, You two, go play." Once Henry and Bridget had happily run off, he sat back in his seat. "What's going on?"

Arthur hesitated. Perhaps it was better to keep everything in his head. It's certainly what his mother would want him to do. Thoughts belong in the head. She had told him it a hundred times. Emotions as well. He recalled the time he, as a child, tripped over his own feet and skinned his knee. His mother had to remind him that men didn't cry, didn't look to others for help. They managed for themselves.

"Arthur? Are you alright?" His father was looking concerned.

Arthur took a breath. He knew his father was different even though he often found it difficult to accept. "Were you ever good with women?"

Cal laughed. "It took me ten years to realize I had any feelings for Kate so probably not."

"That's not what I meant," Arthur took a seat near him. "I meant before, like when you were my age."

"I suppose I was fine, but my father was always quick to put an end to any relationship he didn't like. After a while, I stopped trying. Why?"

"I'm not very good at them."

"Hm. Have you tried telling them you have a great deal of money? That always worked for me."

"I don't want to do that." Arthur thought of the sort of women money attracted—his mother, for one—and wanted to stay far away. He had watched his parents argue throughout his entire childhood and he was terrified of finding himself in a similar situation someday. "Tommy set me up with this woman he knew and it didn't go well."

"Are you sure?" Cal asked. "I've found that a lot of times, things often go better than you think."

"We didn't speak for fifteen minutes and then she had to leave," Arthur replied. "Our food hadn't even arrived yet."

"Oh. Well, I think I see your problem. You have to talk to them."

"I never know what to talk about."

"Talk about your art. Women love artists."

"I'm not that good."

"You're very good."

Arthur shrugged. He wished he could believe what his father was telling him but a small voice in the back of his head argued that his father was merely being nice. He was still simply making up for the years they lost.

"Arthur," Cal began. "You're still very young and you have plenty of time to figure it out. You shouldn't worry so much." He straightened Henry and Bridget's school work into two nice tidy piles. "And I'm not sure it's the best idea to take advice from Tommy."

"He's good with women."

"He's a little too good, you mean. Stop worrying. You just need to stop thinking so much and, as cliché as it sounds, be yourself. You'll find someone."

Arthur sighed. "And if I rather be someone else?"

"You're a good young man and someday your mother will stop living in your head and you'll be able to see it."

"Maybe." He still didn't feel any less certain. Maybe his mother was right, after all.


The rain began to fall just as they were beginning to cook their hot dogs. What was first only a few casual drops soon strengthened into a downpour and the fire went out with a great deal of smoke. They ended up eating half-cooked dogs while huddling inside the tent.

"This is so much fun," Eileen said.

"Yeah, I love cold hot dogs," John replied dryly. The trip may have been a disaster but he was forced to admit there were worse places to be.

"I'm getting dripped on," Sarah said suddenly. She climbed over Pat to get to the other side of the tent. "I think there's a leak."

"I don't see any hole," Pat replied.

For a moment they all stared up at the tent roof.

"Of course, there's a hole," Sarah insisted. "How could it be leaking without a hole?"

Pat shrugged. "It's a cheap tent. The material's likely disintegratin'."

Eileen suddenly let out a yelp and moved to the other side. "It's disintegrating over there too."

"Maybe we should just go home," Sarah said.

"No," Eileen protested. "We haven't even gone hiking yet."

"Ye want to sleep in the rain?" Pat asked.

"Yes. I like the rain."

"Yer not sleepin' in the rain."

Sarah huffed. "We'll all be sleeping in the rain in a moment if this tent disintegrates any more."

"It's only on that one side," Pat insisted.

"Oh, I suppose that's alright then. Only half of us will drown in our sleep."

A heavy silence fell over them broken only by rain drumming on the canvas. John looked around at the group. He suspected that his parents' argument was only just beginning. "Come on, Eileen. Why don't we go wait in the car where it's dry. At least until these two are finished arguing," he said, grabbing two blankets.

Eileen sighed. "Fine."

The car was warm and dry and, most enjoyably, peaceful. John stretched out on the front seat while Eileen climbed into the back. She took one of the blankets and wrapped it around her.

"This is the worst thing ever," she said suddenly.

"It was your idea."

"I know and I didn't realize how awful it'd be." She sighed. "I just can't say anything because I'm the one who made a big deal about it."

John laughed. "So we're all miserable for no reason."

"Oh, there's a reason," she replied. "I just don't know what it is." She pressed her face to the window and stared at the tent. "They've been arguing a lot lately."

"They always argue. It doesn't mean anything though," John said. "That's just how they are." He assumed it was because they were both so stubborn but, whatever the reason, they always worked it out

"Oh. Are you sure?"

"Of course, I'm sure. Why?"

"Albert Davis' parents are going through a divorce and he said they were always arguing."

John laughed a second time. "Yeah, mom and dad aren't going to get a divorce. You're probably too young to remember but they both fall to pieces whenever they're away from each other."

"I remember when dad left for work," she said. "Only the second time though. I don't remember the first time he left very well."

"The first time?"

"When I was like three."

"Oh, that." John had forgotten that they had never told Eileen about Pat's time in the asylum. He wondered if she would ever know the truth.

"Yeah that," she repeated. "Are you sure they're not going to get a divorce?"

"Very much so."

The car door suddenly opened. "Alright," Pat began. "We talked it out and ye two can sleep in here tonight. Only half the tent is leakin' so that's something good, at least."

"Was there a hole?" Eileen asked.

Pat ignored her question. "If it's still rainin' by mornin', we'll head home. If it stops, we'll all suffer through another day. Sound good?"

"I'd rather stay longer but I guess that'll be alright," she said with a bit too much false conviction. "Are you two done arguing?"

"We weren't arguin'," Pat replied. "We were havin' a discussion."

"Did mom win your discussion?" John asked.

"I think we both know that she always wins," Pat said. "Alright, goodnight. Yell if ye two need anything."


Tommy walked carefully down the street, stepping over puddles left behind from the overnight storm. There weren't too many people out and about which was the way he preferred Spokane. It made it easier to believe that the city belonged to him. He knew it wouldn't last, however, as the pale blue morning sky promised a perfect spring day.

He walked slowly as he was supposed to be looking for a job—he had recently decided that college wasn't for him—but he had no interest in doing so. Eventually, someone would catch on that the economy was no longer all that bad, and he'd be forced to sacrifice his soul to one factory or another.

He turned his head at the jingle of bells from a nearby shop and stropped in his tracks at the sight of June. He watched her for a moment, as she balanced several large bags in her arms, until he realized how just unsettling it must be to be unknowingly watched.

"June," Tommy quickly called out. "Hi."

She turned at the sound of his voice and a smile lit up her face. "Tommy."

He thought it was a good sign that she remembered his name. "Imagine seeing you here."

She held up the bags. "Just doing a bit of shopping."

"You call that a bit? I'm counting four bags so far."

"Four bags is a small amount compared to…to five bags." June made a face. "Sorry, that sounded clever in my head and then I lost my nerve by the end."

Tommy laughed. He looked at her as she stood there in the sunlight, her pale blue dress rustling in the breeze against her legs, a matching blue hat perched at an angle on blonde hair that she must've curled herself—he knew this as whenever she turned her head, he could see a small section of hair that she must've overlooked. She was far too pretty for someone like Warren. "You want to get a coffee?" He asked.

"You do know that I'm seeing someone, right?"

"It's only a coffee," Tommy said. "I promise I won't ask you to marry me."

June laughed. "I suppose coffee is harmless enough. Although," she gave him a scrutinizing look. "I feel like I should be a bit wary around you. You don't bite, do you?"

He smiled. "My mother says I'm a very nice young man."

"All mothers say that about their sons. Come on." She started walking to the closest diner. "Let's get this coffee over with so you can leave me alone."

"I'll leave you alone right now, if you want."

"No, I think I'd like you to buy me a cup of coffee," June replied. "But only one cup."

"One cup it is," Tommy said. He reached over and took two of her shopping bags, being sure to lightly graze her arm with his fingers. He thought she might've blushed but she quickly turned her head.


Sarah stood at the counter making her famous minced chicken sandwiches while the rest sat around the kitchen table, worn out and dirty. Pat watched her spread the chicken mince on slices of bread, occasionally pausing to scratch a bug bite. He didn't know how she had ended up with so many as he hadn't seen a single insect the entire trip. But he knew better than to bring it up.

"Can we go again next year?" Eileen asked.

Pat turned to look at her. "Yer kiddin'?"

"Well, now we know what not to do."

"Ye honestly enjoyed yerself?"

"Yes, I did."

"It was a disaster."

"A fun disaster."

Sarah brought a plate of sandwiches over and took a seat. "I'm sure your father will be more than happy to take you next year. But I think I'll be staying home."

Pat sighed. "I'd be more than willin' to take ye to the park."

"You can't camp in the park," John stated. "Unless you're homeless."

"Do I hear ye volunteerin' yerself?" Pat asked.

"What?" John looked around at the group.

"I think that's a lovely idea," Sarah said.

"I'm…I'm probably busy."

"So no one will go with me?" Eileen sighed and pushed her sandwich away.

"Oh, quit whining. You said, yourself, that you hated the trip," John said.

"Did not."

"Did so."

"Stop lying."

"You're lying."

Pat nudged Sarah's leg beneath the table. "It wasn't the worst trip," he said quietly. They may have been cold and wet and hungry but they were together. It was easy to take that togetherness for granted but then he remembered the years apart, the asylum, the silver mine, and knew how valuable they were.

For a moment, she looked as though she was about to argue but then her expression softened. "I suppose not." She brushed some crumbs into her hand. "But we'll be getting a hotel next time."

"Without a question."


June carefully stirred sugar into her coffee followed by a splash of milk, a bit more sugar, and then more milk until the drink reached the brim. "I'm not much of a coffee drinker," she admitted sheepishly.

"You could have ordered tea," Tommy replied. He took a sip of his straight black coffee and tried not to make a face. He didn't care for it much, either, but wasn't about to admit to it.

"I...don't like tea either, I'm afraid."

"No coffee, no tea...what do you drink in the mornings then?"

"Hot chocolate," June replied. "Extra chocolate."

"My little sister likes hot chocolate."

"Oh, stop it. I just don't see why I should force myself to drink something I don't like when there's already something as delicious as hot chocolate."

Tommy laughed. "I'm only teasing you. Hot chocolate is always a good choice." He turned in his seat and waved down a waitress.

"What are you doing?" June asked.

He ignored her. "Excuse ma'am. Could we get a cup of hot chocolate, extra chocolate if possible?"

The waitress smiled. "Of course. I'll bring it right out."

June reached across the table and lightly touched his hand. "You really didn't have to order me a hot chocolate."

"Oh, did you want one? That was for myself."

Her face fell. "Oh."

Tommy grinned. "I'm only teasing you again."

The waitress brought out the hot chocolate and June immediately pushed her coffee aside. "Thank you. This is much better." She took a sip.

"So what else do you enjoy besides hot chocolate?"

"I like to knit and I'm currently taking a shorthand class," she replied. "I'm enjoying it quite a bit."

"What is shorthand?"

"It's a way of writing quickly. Everything is abbreviated or you use symbols," she explained. "It makes me feel a bit like I'm writing in secret code. Like I'm a spy or something."

Tommy laughed. "I hate to break it to you, but you'd make a terrible spy."

"And why is that?"

"Your face shows every single thought that crosses your mind."

"Does it?" June leaned in closer. "What am I thinking right now?"

"You are thinking, if only you had met me first."

"Tommy…" She started to reach for his hand but as her gaze flickered to the window, she abruptly pulled it back. "Oh...oh no. I should go." Her face revealed nothing but trepidation.

"June?"

"It's Warren."

Tommy spun around in his seat to see Warren enter the diner. The man made a beeline for their table.

"What the hell, man?"

"Hi Warren," Tommy replied. "If you don't mind, we're trying to enjoy our coffees." He picked up his cup to take a sip.

Warren knocked it from his hand. The mug skidded across the table, spilling hot coffee everywhere. June shrieked and pushed away from the table.

Springing from his seat, Tommy gave Warren a hard shove. "Sorry, didn't mean to shove you," he said sardonically. The words had barely left his lips before Warren took a swing that connected with Tommy's jaw. Before he could retaliate, two men were forcefully pulling them apart.

"You son of a bitch," Warren seethed. "You knew I was seeing her."

"Did I? I haven't exactly spoken to you since you got me arrested."

"That was an accident.

"The hell it was."

They glared at each other for one tense moment, both daring the other to make another move. The other patrons in the diner all watched over untouched sandwiches and cups of coffee growing cold.

Finally, Warren sighed. "Fuck you. Stay away from her." He grabbed June's arm and pulled her away. She looked back at Tommy as they left the diner.

Tommy counted out several bills, adding a couple extra for the broken mug, and tossed the money down. He waited a few minutes to make sure that Warren was gone, before exiting the diner himself.

As he started for home, he heard his name. Tommy turned to see June hurrying to catch up with him. He felt guilty at the sight of a large brown coffee stain on the front of her dress.

"Tommy," she said, stopping right before him. "I'm so sorry for Warren. I want you to know that I ended things with him."

"Good for you." Tommy tried to keep the smile from his face. His former friend would think twice before 'sacrificing' him again.

"I told him it was only coffee but he wasn't listening."

"I know you can do better."

"I bet I could." She hesitated briefly before boldly leaning in and attempting a kiss. Her aim was off leading to an awkward peck that only partially met his mouth. "Sorry." Her cheeks blushed pink. "That seemed more romantic in my head. I'm usually not one for kissing strange men."

Tommy laughed. "You did fine." He originally had no interest in her aside from getting back at Warren but she was very sweet. He didn't think he would've minded seeing more of her. "You want to get some coffee?" He asked.

"I'd love to get some hot chocolate," June replied. She looked down at her dress and sighed. "I'll have to go home and change first. Could you walk me? For safety reasons, of course. Warren was very upset."

"For safety reasons, I'd be more than happy to walk you home."

Summer

The moment Cal read about the World's Fair to be held in New York, he knew he was going to take someone. At first, he hoped to bring the entire family but Kate wanted nothing to do with New York City as her last experience in that city was far from great. Bridget thought the whole thing sounded boring and Tommy said he was too busy—doing what, no one knew as he still had no job. In the end, he only brought Henry who, thankfully, was so excited he could hardly sit still.

The tickets he purchased included admission to five attractions of their choice with the ability to pay for more once they were there. Kate had cautioned him against spending too much money but he still ended up purchasing extra as Henry couldn't make up his mind on what to see and Cal didn't want to say no as he wasn't sure if there would ever be another World's Fair. He certainly didn't want Henry to miss out on anything.

The fair, itself, was much larger than he had anticipated, filled with more people than he could imagine. As they weaved their way through the park, he was almost glad that he hadn't brought the entire family. It would've been impossible to keep track of everyone. Even with just Henry, he still managed to lose him in the crowd.

After experiencing some momentary panic, Cal found him inside the RCA Pavilion, staring at one of the new televisions. The set was nearly as tall as Henry and had a case made out of Lucite, showcasing every part that made it work.

Henry reached over the barrier to touch it.

"Don't do that," Cal said, coming up beside him.

"I can't reach it anyway," Henry replied, quickly pulling his arm back. "Can we get one?"

"A television? I'm sure they're very expensive."

"Oh."

"Not that I don't think it would be a neat thing to own, but maybe we should wait a couple of years for the price to come down." Cal tried to imagine what Kate would say if they came home with a television set that cost as much as their car. Even he knew it was far too much. "Alright, now that I've found you—don't tell your mother I lost you."

"I won't," Henry said. "But you were the one who was lost. I knew precisely where I was the whole time."

Cal laughed. "Right. Well, since I'm no longer lost, I think we should find somewhere to eat." He unfolded their map. "Do you want Swedish, Polish, Italian, or French?" He asked as he looked for more restaurants. "Or Romanian. We could eat Romanian."

"American."

"Really?"

Henry pointed to a spot on the map. "Donut Casino."

"How about we go there for dessert?"

"Fine...I still want American," Henry insisted. "I don't know what they eat in Romania."

"Lettuce, I assume."

Henry stared at him with a blank look.

"Romaine Lettuce...you know...nevermind." Cal gave up on his attempt at a joke and returned to the map. "Looks like Schaefer's Center is closest. We'll go there."

"And that's American?"

"I assume so. It's not in any of the International Pavilions."

Henry nodded. "And after that and after the donuts, can we see the World of Tomorrow?"

"Absolutely."


John nearly thought he must've been dreaming when Dottie knocked on his door and asked if they could go for a walk. He hadn't realized that she was home again but, as he was reluctant to leave his home lest he run into Helen—who still believed him to be out of the country—he was hardly checking.

They walked in silence for a time while John waited for Dottie to begin. He knew that Pat wanted him to confess everything but she had been avoiding him for so long that his feelings only seemed silly.

"John," she said at last. "I want to be friends again."

"I never stopped being your friend." She was the one who had been avoiding him, not him.

"Please don't argue. I just need you to listen right now."

"Alright."

"I asked Jimmy if we could hold off on the wedding for a time. I need to—"

"You're still marrying him?" John cut her off.

Dottie sighed. "Please just listen. I asked him to hold off. I have a lot I need to think about and a decision to make and I can't do it if everyone's pestering me."

"Seems like it'd be a pretty easy decision to me."

"John, stop." She suddenly looked so distraught that he wished he could take back every unkind thing he might have said intentionally or inadvertently since the first day they met. "My parents like Jimmy a great deal and he's all they talk about. Apparently his family is very successful and has a great deal of money. His grandfather is some big director or something."

"A film director?"

She shook her head. "No, of a company. A hospital, I think. It's apparently a very big deal."

"And all of that matters to you?" In all of the years he had known her, he had never heard her mention it.

"You know it doesn't. I promise it doesn't. But I can't go against my parents' wishes just like that," she replied. "I love my family and I don't want to lose them."

John tried to remember what he knew about her family. He knew they loved to travel and her mother was a terrible cook—a certain tuna loaf from his childhood lived rent-free in his head. "I've met your parents before. I thought they liked me."

"They like you fine so long as you were only a friend but…" Dottie hesitated. "They know your father spent time in Eastern State. They know both you and him work for the WPA."

He felt a wave of irritation rise up. Her family had no right to dislike his family. They didn't even know his family. "Do you like my family at least?"

"I adore your family," she said. "I wish they were my family, if I'm being honest."

John reached for her hand and was surprised that she let him take it. "Dottie, you have to tell me. Do you love me?"

Dottie stepped closer to him and gently kissed his cheek. "What do you think? Now, I have to go," she said, pulling her hand free. "I'm supposed to be bringing in the laundry from the line. My mother is going to be looking for me in a minute."

"Dottie." John hesitated. "I love you."

She smiled. "I'll see you later."

"Promise?"

"Promise." She looked back once as she hurried back home.

John slipped back inside feeling lighter than he had in some time. Things were going to work out. They had to work out.


The Frozen Alive Girl had sounded like an interesting show. A woman was frozen alive and then, Cal assumed, was still alive after she thawed. When Henry asked to see it, he saw no reason to say no. The show began fine. A man stood on the stage next to a woman in a bathing suit and introduced the act. A massive block of ice stood before them. But then, to his surprise, the woman slipped out of the bathing suit, leaving her entirely nude.

"Nope, nope, nope." Cal immediately steered a protesting Henry out of the building and to a nearby exhibit. He certainly hadn't expected that. "I'm fairly certain that a fully clothed woman would freeze just as well as one with no clothes."

"Not if the clothes keep her warm," Henry pointed out. "I wanted to see if she'll live."

"I'm sure she does," Cal replied. He gave the child a look. "Don't tell your mother you saw that."

They both took a seat at the next exhibit, the Aquacade, and watched a few people dive from a great height.

While Henry was mesmerized, Cal looked around at the crowd. His eyes landed on some familiar red hair and he sighed. Of course, he would run into Rose at the World's Fair. He tried to recall the last time he had seen her...it had been not long before he moved to Spokane. If he remembered correctly, he had left her with a fairly large dinner bill.

As if feeling his gaze, she turned her head and their eyes met. She smiled and immediately came over.

"Imagine seeing you here," Rose said.

"Hello, Rose." Cal gestured to Henry. "This is Henry, my son."

"I thought your sons were Victor and Arthur?"

"I remarried and gained a few more." Cal thought of Kate's children and smiled. "Two sons and two daughters, in fact. Tommy, Henry, Bridget, and Evelyn."

"I had heard you married again." She looked at Henry. "Are you having fun?"

"So much fun," Henry replied. "Except I didn't get to see the end of the Frozen Alive Girl."

"You didn't?"

"The nudity was a bit of a surprise," Cal explained. "I don't think his mother would have approved."

Rose laughed. "In that case, you might also want to keep him away from the Salvador Dali exhibit. It's...well, not complete nudity. Just topless."

"Thanks." The divers had finished and a long line of swimmers were lining up along the edge of the pool. "What are you doing here?"

She shrugged. "I'm here for work, in a way. I'm looking to see which shows and exhibits are most popular so my studio can take full advantage."

"You don't have employees to do that for you?"

"And miss all the fun? No, I can handle this one." Her gaze drifted to the pool where the swimmers had begun a synchronized routine.

"And what have you learned so far?"

"Well, it seems to me that everyone is currently yearning for extravagant musicals."

"And nudity."

Rose laughed again. "I can't do much about the nudity but I'm already making plans for a few musicals. I shouldn't tell you this but we recently signed an exclusive contract with Irving Berlin."

"I have no idea who that is."

"He wrote 'Blue Skies'," she explained. "It was in the Jazz Singer."

"I see." He still had no idea who she was talking about but didn't want to let on. Fabrizio was the one who always kept up with that sort of thing. "You haven't, by any chance, heard from Fabri recently, have you?"

"Not for some time but I've never been much of a letter writer so we don't correspond regularly," she replied. "Also, he might still be a bit angry with me for firing his wife."

"You fired Lelia?"

Rose huffed. "I was moving to California and she refused to relocate. I didn't have a choice. Now, why are you asking?"

"I'm just worried about them. I hardly hear from them now that they're living in Italy and haven't received a letter at all for some time now."

"I'm sure they're fine."

Cal thought of their marital problems and sighed. He was afraid that would soon be the least of their worries. "For now," he said. "War seems to be inching closer and I'm concerned they'll find themselves in a dangerous situation if they wait too long to leave."

"You truly think it'll affect Italy?" Rose asked. "I thought it was just a Germany problem."

"I believe it's an all of Europe problem or it will be."

"Hm." She appeared thoughtful for a moment. "Well, I have some connections in France who might be willing to shelter them if it should come to it. But, honestly, you're overreacting. I'm sure Fabri knows what he's doing. If there's any danger, they'll leave. And, if not, they're fine. Either way, I'm sure they don't want you worrying."

Cal sighed. "I'm sure you're right."

"If it makes you feel any better, I can send a few letters."

"I appreciate the effort."

Henry tugged on his arm. "Are you even watching?"

"I'm watching." Cal looked ahead to see that the swimming was finished and now they were singing. He turned to Rose. "It was good to see you but I better get back to this."

"It was surprisingly good to see you too," she replied. She started to return to her seat but paused and looked back. "Are you happy?" She asked suddenly.

Cal's thoughts drifted to Kate and he smiled. "Very much so."

"I'm glad." And her voice was genuine.


They returned home and Henry immediately ran to tell Kate every little detail, his suitcase still in his hand. He was especially taken with the television.

"It was so neat. You should've seen it," Henry said excitedly. "I thought we should buy one but dad said it was too expensive." He shot Cal a look. "I still want one for Christmas though."

"What's wrong with the radio?" Kate asked. "I thought ye loved that."

"Radio's don't have pictures. There's a big difference." He dropped his bag on the floor. "The World of Tomorrow was also really neat. We all sat in this row and it slowly spun around and there was this giant city below us but it wasn't a real city. And then there was also this...I don't remember what it was called but there was a pool and they were doing dives from way up high." He mimed a diver with his hand.

"Aquacade," Cal offered.

"Yeah, that. It was something."

"That all sounds very neat," Kate said. "I'm glad ye got to see it. How was the train ride?"

"Long and boring."

Kate laughed. "That sounds about right."

"Oh, yeah. I almost forgot. They also froze this girl but I didn't get to see them thaw her because she was naked."

"What?"

"I wasn't supposed to tell you that."

Kate looked at Cal.

"It was only for a second and I immediately steered him away," Cal explained. "I'm sorry. I truly didn't realize that she was going to remove all of her clothing."

Kate smiled. "It's alright. It's not like you took him to one of those nudie shows."

"There was one of those there but I didn't get to see it," Henry said. "I just saw the sign on the building and that naked woman was just a drawing so it didn't count."

"Why don't you tell your mother about the donuts?" Cal quickly suggested.

"Oh yeah. There was a place called the Donut Casino and we had so many donuts and I got to meet someone who makes movies."

"Really?"

"Yeah, dad knows her."

Kate looked at Cal once again.

"We ran into Rose." He spoke nervously.

If he thought Kate was going to be irritated that he had spoken with his former fiancé, he was wrong. She had noticed that Henry had called him 'dad' multiple times and that had made her far too happy to care about something that had almost happened over twenty years earlier. "How's she doing?"

"Perfectly wonderful," Cal replied. "She's making a great deal of money and I think she's planning to make a musical."

"I like musicals," Kate said. "I think that's a wonderful idea."

"And she doesn't have a single gray hair. I swear she hasn't aged a day."

Kate laughed. "I'm sure she dyes her grays." She ran her fingers through her own hair. "I've been considerin' doin' it meself one of these days."

Cal pulled her close to him. "Don't you dare. I like your grays."

"Do ye?" Kate looked over and caught Henry watching them. "Henry, why don't ye go and start unpackin' unless yer plannin' on takin' another trip."

"Alright." Henry grabbed his bag and ran off.

"I asked Rose to reach out to Fabri," Cal said the moment they were alone. "He's not listening to reason so I'm hoping she might be able to convince him to move before it's too late."

"Ye really think war's comin'?"

"I do."

"Do ye think it'll affect us?" She still remembered the day Daniel had been called up all too clearly. The pain and fear that accompanied his leaving. She wasn't sure she could handle going through it a second time.

"In Spokane, Washington? I doubt it," Cal replied. "I really am sorry about the nudity. I hadn't realized."

Kate smiled. "He called ye dad."

"I caught that...he did it twice."

She kissed him. "Thank ye for bein' a better father to them than their own was."

"They're good children," Cal said. "It's not hard to do."

Fall

Tommy had gone out with June several times over the past few months but he still hadn't decided if he was interested or not. He found her to be plenty sweet but she was also a bit timid and naive. Sometimes he thought she would be perfect for Arthur as Arthur was just as diffident but then June would have a couple drinks and she turned into an entirely different person. One he preferred.

He was sitting on the sofa reading a book when there was a timid knock on the door. He didn't look up as Kate went to answer it.

"Can I help ye?"

"I'm looking for Tommy."

Tommy recognized June's voice and immediately closed his book and set it aside.

"Tommy?" Kate beckoned toward him.

"I'm coming," he said as he approached the door.

June stood in the doorway, looking strangely uncomfortable. "Could I speak with you privately for a moment?" She gave Kate a nervous look.

"Sure." Tommy stepped outside. "What is it?" There was a strange feeling of foreboding in his stomach.

"I think…" She took a sudden deep breath. "Do you remember that one night, I think it was two months ago? We saw Man in the Iron Mask."

"That was terrible."

"It was. And then afterward we went to Whiteheads and had a few drinks."

"To forget the terrible movie."

"Right. And then…" Her voice faltered.

"June, what's going on?"

"We went back to my place and you climbed in through my window so you wouldn't wake my parents and then we did things and...and…"

The feeling of foreboding only grew worse.

"June, please get to the point."

"I'm pregnant."

Tommy stared at her. "Okay, that's funny," he said. "I'm going to go back in. It's nearly time for dinner so my mom will be expecting me back in. To help, I mean."

"I'm being serious."

"Oh. Then congratulations, I guess. I'll talk to you later, maybe." He turned to go back inside, away from her and all talks of babies and bad decisions and consequences.

"Tommy." June grabbed his arm. "I haven't told my parents yet. They're going to be furious."

"I don't know what you want me to do about it."

Her eyes suddenly filled with tears. "I'm really afraid right now and I don't know what to do and you have to help me." Her voice grew desperate. "Please."

"Yeah, I'm really sorry about that but I'm kind of busy right now. I really have to go—"

"Thomas Brandt."

At the sound of his mother's voice, he could feel his heart stop beating. He slowly turned to see her standing behind him, her arms crossed and looking furious.

"I was just—"

"Get inside this instant," she cut him off. "And I will be speakin' to ye about this in a wee bit so ye best start considerin' the role ye played in it."

Tommy felt as though he was walking to his own execution as he did as he was told. He took a seat on the sofa and picked up his book once more. But, try as he might, he couldn't bring himself to read it. He had to have been trapped in a terrible dream. June must have been lying. It just wasn't possible otherwise.

After a time, Kate came back inside. "There are not enough words for how disappointed I am in ye," she began. "Not just for what ye did but for how ye were treatin' that poor girl just now. It's not how I raised ye."

"Mom, I—"

"No, I don't want to hear any of yer excuses. Ye've ruined that poor girl's life."

"We were just having some fun." It didn't make any sense.

"Oh, ye were havin' some fun, were ye? Are ye still havin' fun?"

Tommy couldn't find his voice.

Kate sighed. "For the foreseeable future, yer not to set foot outside of this house except to buy a ring."

"A ring?"

"Aye, a ring. Yer goin' to marry her."

Tommy jumped up from his seat. "Mom, no!"

"Yer goin' to marry her and, in the meantime, she's goin' to tell her parents the news and if they throw her out, she'll be movin' in with us. But I'm hopin' her parents will be less upset knowin' that the two of ye will be married before the baby comes."

"I don't want to marry her…I don't love her."

"That only makes what ye did that much worse," Kate said. "Now get to yer room before I decide it's easier to simply murder ye."

Tommy slowly went to his room and threw himself down on his bed. He let out a sigh as he thought of how drastically his life just changed. He had only wanted to get back at Warren. Warren is the one who should be stuck marrying her, not him. "God dammit," he muttered.


WARSAW, Poland, Friday, Sept. 1–War began at 5 o'clock this morning with German planes attacking Gdynia, Cracow and Katowice. At Gdynia three bombs exploded in the sea. The regular German Army started an offensive…

BERLIN, Friday, Sept. 1–Charging that Germany had been attacked, Chancellor Hitler at 5:11 o'clock this morning issued a proclamation to the army declaring that from now on force will be met with force and calling on the armed forces "to fulfill their duty to the end..."

WASHINGTON, Sept. 1–The President received word at 2:50 a. m. eastern standard time by telephone from Ambassador Biddle at Warsaw and through Ambassador Bullitt in Paris that Germany has invaded Poland and that four Polish cities are being bombed. The President directed all naval ships and army commands be notified by radio at once…

ROME, Sept 3–Italy stays neutral! Fears held up to the last moment that there might be a sudden change to this country's policy were swept away tonight as Premier Benito Mussolini's fascist government went steadily ahead with its determination to keep out of war…


Cal,

You should know how much we appreciate your concern and Rose's as well. We have talked it out and I believe Fabri is finally starting to hear me. We are worried about the war but every newspaper says that Italy is remaining neutral. So we've decided that it's likely safer to remain where we are for the time being. It's difficult to forget what happened to the poor Lusitania during the last War. Fabri doesn't want to risk another sinking ship and, for once, I agree with him.

Once the world stops feeling so tumultuous, he says he is willing to move us back to New York unless I suddenly change my mind which, between you and me, is not likely to happen any time soon. I had made up my mind two years ago. If my husband can be stubborn, I can be more so. I can assure you that I won't be backing down.

Anyway, we're all praying for things to settle soon. War is a idiotic idea and you'd hope that everyone learned their lessons after the Great War but I suppose we shall see. In any case, we're praying it's minor and far, far away.

All our love,

Lelia


Kate laid next to Cal in bed, unable to sleep. She thought he was awake as well. Between Tommy's incident and war breaking out in Europe, she wasn't sure if either of them would be able to sleep ever again. "Are ye awake?" She asked softly.

"Of course I am."

"Me too." She moved closer to him. "Which worry are ye thinkin' about? The war or Tommy?"

"Tommy at the moment," Cal replied. He sighed. "I don't think we should make him marry that girl."

"He's been speakin' to ye, has he?" She wasn't surprised her son would try to seek an ally.

"He has but that's not why I think so."

"Alright, I'm listenin'. Tell me why me son has no more responsibility to that poor girl whose life he ruined?"

"Kate, we both know what it's like to be in an unhappy marriage," Cal said. "We can't force Tommy into one."

"Me son's not Hugh. He won't be abusive." The briefest worry flickered through her mind. What if she was wrong? Tommy had always had a bit of a temper. But that concern was gone as quickly as it had arrived. He had seen firsthand the effects of Hugh's abuse. He would never fall down that same path.

"I know, but that doesn't mean either of them would be happy."

Kate reached over for his hand and held it tightly. "I see what yer sayin' but now ye need to listen to me. I was widowed when Tommy was born so it wasn't like he was born out of wedlock but that didn't matter. I saw the looks, heard the whispers whenever I went out. If I didn't have Sarah, I'd have lost me mind. That poor girl would have a very difficult life on her own. I mean the only reason her parents haven't tossed her out on the street is because she told them Tommy would marry her. Why should she be condemned to a life of isolation and shame while me son gets on with his life like nothin' ever happened?"

"Maybe not like nothing happened. After the way you yelled at him the other day, I doubt he'll even look at another woman ever again."

Kate smiled despite herself. "Like it or not, that girl is our responsibility now."

"I know," Cal replied. "But it should still be Tommy's choice. As difficult as it is to believe, he's an adult now and we can't force him into anything."

She sighed. "Where did I go wrong?"

He leaned over and kissed her. "Nowhere. Speaking as a man who once used to be young, I can honestly tell you that Tommy is far from an anomaly. He's simply a young man who hasn't learned to think of the consequences yet. Although, I'm sure he's thinking of them pretty hard right now."

"Maybe."

Cal squeezed her hand. "At least she seems sweet. Maybe she'll be good for Tommy."

"I can't believe I'm goin' to be a grandma," Kate said suddenly. She knew what had happened and had spent plenty of time thinking of the immediate future but she hadn't really considered what was coming afterward. "I'm not ready for that."

"She could still lose the child," he said softly.

"Oh, don't say that. That's a different sort of terrible." She thought some more and smiled. "It wouldn't be too terrible to have a baby to hold again. Evy is growin' up too quickly. I wonder what they'll name it. Assumin' Tommy marries her and we even get to see the child."

"I'm sure we will. I'm completely confident that Tommy will do the right thing in the end."

"I suppose we'll see." There was a pause as Kate's thoughts drifted to her other worry. "Are ye worried about the war at all?" She asked, changing the subject.

"I'm only worried about Fabri and Lelia," Cal replied. "They're much closer to it than we are."

"I nearly lost me husband in the last war."

"Well, no matter what happens, you won't be losing this one. No one wants me fighting. I'm too old."

"No." Kate thought of Tommy once again. "But Tommy's not too old."

"It won't come to it, I promise." Cal squeezed her hand a second time. "Absolutely no one wants this country getting involved."

She sighed. "Yer probably right."


Kate had told them about Tommy but Sarah still found it difficult to believe. It wasn't that it was all that unusual to have a child out of wedlock—most people married quickly enough that it was only obvious after doing a bit of math—but she was more surprised that Tommy was old enough to have a child in the first place. Technically, Sarah knew he was twenty years old but in her mind, he would always be the turnip-headed toddler showing off his toy truck at every opportunity. It was absurd how quickly time flew by.

Just thinking of how old Tommy had gotten made her look at her own son. He was twenty-six already. He was older than she was when she had him. It was even more absurd, unthinkable. How was it possible?

"Do ye think Kate's goin' to get her way with the marriage?" Pat asked as they sat together in the living room.

"You know she will in the end but I think Tommy will marry her willingly."

"Really?"

"Tommy's a good young man," Sarah said. "I mean, I know he's had his troubles but when it comes down to it, he'll do the right thing." She thought of her own son once again. "Just as I'd expect John to do if he should happen to get someone pregnant."

"Assumin' John would even say anything in the first place."

"He would. I know he would." Sarah looked at John who had just walked into the room. "John?"

"Yeah?"

"You haven't gotten anyone pregnant, have you?"

"What?" His face turned beet red. "No, of course not. Why do you think I have? I haven't done that."

"Well, now you're denying it so much I'm starting to think it's true."

"No, I promise. I haven't...I haven't done it at all."

There was silence as John looked mortified at his own words.

"Really?" Pat asked. "Yer twenty-six."

Sarah lightly smacked him. "Stop it."

John looked uncomfortable. "I just...I thought I'd be married by now but I'm not. And I'm likely to not ever be married at the way things are going."

"Ye don't need to be married to find a woman," Pat pointed out.

"Out, now." Sarah pointed to the door. "Go."

"Sorry, I'm goin'." Pat gave John a look as he left the room.

As soon as he was gone, Sarah patted the empty seat next to her. "John, you don't need to be in a rush. Did you know your father was thirty-two when he married me?"

John sat beside her. "He was?"

"He was and I was twenty-five. You have plenty of time. But…" She hesitated.

"But what?"

Sarah took a moment to choose her words carefully. "I know you love Dottie but maybe you should go out and meet some other young women."

"I don't want to meet any other young woman."

"I know but you've been waiting a long time for her. I just think you should be prepared to accept that it might not happen."

John looked unhappy. "It's not fair."

She put an arm around him and gave him a one-armed hug. "Life rarely is."

"Maybe Jimmy will die."

"John!"

"I'm not saying I want it to happen. Maybe Jimmy won't die. Maybe he'll just grow tired of waiting, himself and find someone else. I'm just saying. It'll make everything a whole lot easier."

Sarah smiled. "I suppose life is unpredictable sometimes. Just...don't follow your dad's advice," she said. "There's already one out-of-wedlock baby in this family. We don't need a second one."

"So that actually happened?"

"Unfortunately, it did."

John laughed. "Poor Tommy. He must be losing his mind over it."


"So what are you going to do?" Arthur asked. He was in Tommy's room, lying on Henry's bed. He knew that Kate had wanted Tommy to marry June and that Cal felt differently. It was the closest to an argument he had ever seen them have.

"I don't know," Tommy replied from his own bed. "I don't want to marry anyone. And I definitely don't want to marry June. She's boring."

"Why'd you even sleep with her in the first place? You had to have known that could've happened."

"It's never happened before," Tommy said. "And I only slept with her to get back at Warren. I mean, that was the reason I started seeing her in any case. He's the reason I spent that night in jail last year."

Arthur sighed. "You're angry with him so you ruin her life instead. Good job."

"You sound just like mom."

"Sorry, but it's still shitty of you."

"I know."

"You need to make it right."

"How?"

"How do you think?" Arthur couldn't believe that Tommy was even grappling with the decision at all. If he had gotten someone pregnant, there would be no hesitation in marrying the woman. It was simply the right thing to do.

"I don't even know her," Tommy said.

"You know that she's carrying your child."

"Supposedly. It could be Warren's."

"You really believe that?"

"No." Tommy sighed. "What the hell am I supposed to do with a child? Do you think I need to buy a house?"

"With what money? You don't have a job."

Tommy threw a pillow at him. "I wish I could just run away."

"You know you'll only create new problems wherever you go," Arthur pointed out.

"That's true, I suppose. At least if I stay here, I get fed."

"Have you seen her since she told you?" Arthur had only seen June that first night in the dance hall and was curious to know her better.

"Nope. I've hardly left my room," Tommy replied. He sighed once again. "I just can't see us being happy together."

"Well, I'm sure she won't be happy if you abandon her."

"Why is it all my responsibility?"

Arthur sat up and stared at him. "Really?"

"I know. I know." Tommy ran his fingers through his hair. "This is all so shit. How'd you like to marry her?"

"I would marry her if she was carrying my child." Arthur almost wished that was the case. It would solve a lot of his issues with meeting someone. He could simply marry and be done with dating once and for all.

"Well, I guess at least she's pretty," Tommy mused. "It could be worse."

"Yes, it could."