There Were Never Such Devoted Sisters

Crabapple Junction, North Dakota

January 13, 1946

The Junction felt familiar as Carter and Rebecca entered the town. Smoke curled up from the chimneys of shops and houses alike. Rutherford B. Hayes high school, which served not only Crabapple, but all the farming communities surrounding it, stood quiet on the Sunday afternoon. The mechanic shop was quiet, but the smell of bread wafted from the bakery. As he passed them, Carter saw a few pies cooling in window sills, preparing for Sunday dinner.

"Andrew Carter, as I live and breathe!" Mr. Bauer called from the door of the general store.

Carter grinned and waved. "Hiya, Mr. Bauer!"

"Andrew Carter?" someone said from inside. Mrs. Bauer poked her head out. "Finally back, huh?"

"Yeah, finally," Carter laughed. "Army didn't want to let me go!"

"Hey! Andy Carter!" came the call from Mrs. Haugen, Carter's old English teacher. She had stopped and turned on the wooden sidewalk to wave to him.

"Mrs. Haugen! Good to see you!" Carter said, taking his wedge cap off as he nodded at her.

"Hail the conquering hero," Rebecca laughed.

"Hail the what now?" Carter asked, arching an eyebrow.

"The conquering hero. It's a movie. Saw it in Fargo a while back," Rebecca said. "Anyway, I'm just saying everyone's glad to see you back. You're going to be the talk of the town for a while!"

"I can't be the only guy who's coming back," Carter said. He, of course, had been the first to leave Bullfrog, having enlisted in the summer of 1941 before the war had even started. But his folks had written to him that several other young men from The Junction and surrounding communities had signed up after Pearl Harbor.

Rebecca shrugged. "Sure, but pretty much they were all back by September. You're the only straggler. Some of us were beginning to think you'd never come back!" There was an unasked question in her tone, but Carter wasn't about to acknowledge it.

After Stalag 13 had been liberated at the end of April, he and the guys had been sent to Scotland to recover. And, boy, did Carter need recovering! They all did. But, once they were deemed 'good enough', they had been transferred down to London for debriefings. The debriefings themselves were a gruelling slog, but other events had slowed them down. Honestly, Carter was surprised they were discharged as soon as they were. He half expected to be stuck in those interrogations until 1950! But Colonel Hogan must have put his foot down, declaring the brass had enough information by the end of December.

In letters home, he had explained his delay in London to 'typical army efficiency', a ruse his family bought considering his ridiculous luck with army red tape. Still, as the months had stretched, they became increasingly curious. So much so, that Carter half suspected most of his letters home were either confiscated or heavily censored to keep anything hinting at the truth from getting through.

"Bruno Fischer came back in July," Rebecca continued, missing how Carter flinched at the name as his shoulder twinged. "Went straight to school down in South Dakota. I think he's sweet on Julia but the dope didn't say anything. Wrote to her often enough, though."

"Oh yeah?" Carter asked.

"Yep."

Carter arched an eyebrow, slowing his step. "You're scaring me, Becs."

Rebecca stopped and looked at him as if he had grown two heads. "Scaring you? What?"

Carter grinned. "You haven't once mentioned hockey, but this is the second time you've talked about love! Are you sure you're Rebecca? I'm beginning to think you might be an imposter!"

Rebecca gaped, as if the realization had just hit her. "Oh no! I am a sissy!" she lamented. "Quick, let me give you the rundown on how the Hawks are doing before we get to Alice's!"

Carter burst out laughing and slung his arm over Rebecca, pulling her in for a half-hug. "I'm just teasing! I know you could still lick me if you had a mind to!"

"You're a dope," Rebecca said, rolling her eyes.

"Guilty," Carter replied.

"Come on, let's get out of the cold!" Rebecca grabbed Carter's hand and pulled him along down the snowy walkway. They passed through the town with a few more people calling out greetings until they arrived at a humble home at the edge of town. Mentioned in Alice's letter, it was newly built, and not the only one there. A few other new houses had popped up nearby, marking yet another change to the town Carter had once known so well.

Carter caught a glimpse of Mary's face in the window and heard her muffled cry. A moment later, the door swung open. Julia immediately ran out, while Alice stayed in the doorway, a toddler on her hip.

"Andy!" Julia cried. She threw her arms around him and kissed his cheek. "Oh Andy! You're back! I'm sorry we didn't come to the stop! The car broke down and Mary and I had to walk into town. Of course she decided to run ahead!" Julia said, sticking her tongue out at Rebecca who returned the gesture.

"Jewels!" Carter said, hugging her tightly. "Geez, you've grown, too!"

"Yeah?

"Pretty sure!" Carter replied. Like Rebecca, she was a woman now. It wasn't as stark a contrast, but still jarring. He felt like he was the only one who hadn't grown, slimmed out, or matured.

"All of you come in before you freeze to death!" Alice called. Julia grinned and looped her arm through Carter's leading him to the house, with Rebecca close behind. When he approached, Alice smiled with relief. "Oh Andy. I'm so glad you're back."

Carter freed himself from Julia and hugged Alice, resting his cheek on her head. Alice. Always a quiet anchor in the chaos of their home. But she had changed, too. Married, mother. A role suited to her, sure, and one Carter already knew about, but still another reminder that life had gone on without him.

"Me too," he said. Alice buried her head into his shoulder and sniffed. "Missed you."

"Missed you too," she sniffled. She pulled back and wiped her cheek, brushing away some tears. She gave him a watery smile. "Sorry, I don't mean to cry. I'm just so happy!"

"Hey, cry away!" Carter exclaimed. "But first!" He carefully reached for the toddler, tickling his tummy. "You gotta introduce me to this little guy. Joseph, right?"

"Yep!" Alice said brightly, adjusting the boy. "Joseph, this is your Uncle Andy!" Joseph, fist in his mouth and drool sliding down all the way to his elbow, looked Carter up and down and then quickly turned away, burying his face into his mother's shoulder. Alice smiled softly and kissed his head. "He's a little shy. Like me."

"That's okay. We'll be friends one day. Now, where's Mary?"

"Right here!" Mary chirped from inside the house. Alice moved to let Carter through.

"What? No! You're not Mary!" Carter cried as he stopped in his tracks to look at her. Like the rest of his sisters, she was older, but the difference was stark. She had only been twelve the last time he saw her. Now, she was sixteen. Her hair was no longer in pigtails and instead neatly curled and she was wearing a light dusting of makeup. The little scarecrow he had left behind had grown taller and filled out.

He lowered his hand to his thigh. "The Mary I know was only this tall! You must be someone else!"

"Andy, it's me!" Mary laughed.

"Prove it!"

Mary put her hands on her hips and stuck out her lip. "By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes!"

Carter blinked and tilted his head. "Something wicked? Me?"

Mary's cheeks burned a bright red as her hands moved off her hips to fidget. "No! I mean, I was quoting Shakespeare because I thought, 'who else does Andy know who would quote a book' and I thought–"

"He's teasing you, you dope!" Rebecca cried. "Geez! How can someone so smart be so dumb?!"

At that, Carter burst out laughing. "Oh boy, if I had a nickel for every time Newkirk asked me that! Come here, you!" Mary ran into him and hugged him. "Oh boy! I haven't been hugged so much since I left!"

"Get used to it!" Mary said. "I'm going to hug you every day from here on out!"

"I'm not complaining!" He squeezed her again and then broke away, looking around. "Where's Mother?"

The air left the room and Carter winced. He had prepared himself. He knew she wasn't there. He had reminded himself not to expect her. But the whirlwind of hugs and cheer made him momentarily forget. Mother wasn't there. Would never be there. Taken in an accident back in October of '44.

"I mean," Carter said quietly, gripping the strap of his duffel bag tightly. "I just… I forgot…" Before he could say more, there was a crush of sisters around him, pressing against him and each other. He heard Alice bite back a sob, while Mary shook under his arms.

"Oh Andy," Alice said softly. "I'm so sorry."

"No, I'm sorry," Carter said hastily. "I knew. I shouldn't have said anything. I just forgot and now I'm making all of you cry. I guess I just got swept up in everything and–"

"It's all right," Mary shushed quietly. "I forget sometimes, too." There was a chorus of murmurs amongst his sisters as they agreed.

"She was really proud of you," Julia offered. "Really proud."

"We all are, you big dope," Rebecca said.

"Thanks," Carter said. He tightened his grip on Mary and then cleared his throat. It was tempting to wallow, but he felt the need to pull them out of it. There would be time enough to reflect and mourn together. Today was supposed to be happy. "I'm proud of all you guys, too." He took a shaky breath and forced a smile. "Julia, did you really go to Minneapolis to work in a factory?"

Julia pulled away and managed a smile of her own as the air crept back into the room. "Sure did! I wasn't very good at it, but I did it all the same!"

"Did you read about the award I got for my essay?" Mary asked.

"Sure did, kiddo!" Carter said, ruffling her hair. "And, boy, Alice, this place sure is something. Smells good, too. What're you cooking?"

"Roast beef, potatoes, carrots, rolls! Oh, and there's a pie waiting, too!" Alice announced proudly. "Your favourites, of course!"

"I can't tell you how many times I've dreamed of that exact meal!" Carter laughed. Alice smiled and looked relieved.

"Hey, Andy, should I let your cat out?" Rebecca asked. "I set him down by the door. I bet he's tired of being cooped up in there." She moved to the crate and knelt down in front of it. Carter quickly rushed over and put a hand on her shoulder to pull her away.

"Don't do that. He's a grump. Liable to tear us all to shreds!" To prove his point, Dragon's paw came out and slashed at the air with a hiss.

"I still don't get it," Rebecca said. She stood and turned to his sister, jerking her thumb behind her to the crate. "Andy brought home a cat. Says it's an old friend."

"How come you never mentioned him?" Mary asked, tilting her head.

Carter shrugged. "Long story, I guess."

"Since when has that ever stopped you!" Rebecca cried.

They all laughed at that. "Well then I'll tell it to you later! When are we going to eat? I'm starved!"

Alice looked behind her to the clock. "It's ready to go now. Should we wait for Johan and Dad?"

Rebecca swatted the air. "Nah! It'll probably take them another hour to get that old truck up and running. Come on, let's go to the table!"

"Might as well," Mary reasoned. "Dad would probably get mad at us if we made Andy wait for a good meal just for him!"

"'What do you mean you waited for me? That boy needs food!'" Julia said, mimicking Dad's stern voice. "Take your coat off, Andy. Stay a while!"

"Yeah, all right." Carter dropped his duffel bag next to Dragon's crate, earning a growl, and then peeled off his overcoat. He hung it up on the hook while Rebecca did the same with her outside clothes. Then she grabbed his sleeve while Julia looped her arm through his. Mary awkwardly slipped in between him and Rebecca while Alice led the way with little Joseph on her hip. Together they all piled into the kitchen, air thick with the smell of dinner, and gathered around the table. And, for a moment, it was just like old times.