Captivated (6 page)

"Well, she might be angry..."

"Might be? I don't know much about women, but I obviously know more than you. She will definitely be angry!" Wes laughed again, unable to control himself. "I just don't understand, why didn't you just write to her that Joe was dead, but ask if you could continue writing to her?"

"What if she had said no? I'm in Europe, fighting in a war that could very well leave me dead, I can't persuade her from here. And she was already irritated by Joe's short letters, why would she trust another soldier, one she's never met?"

"Joe did tend to taint the female opinion of our gender. But, I still don't know what you're going to do when the war ends."

"I'll cross that bridge when and if I come to it. If I meet the same fate as Joe, she won't be any worse off."

"Except that instead of writing to a soldier who doesn't seem to care about her, she's writing to one that is sincerely interested in, one she could fall in love with." Wes added.

"Do you really think she could fall in love with me?"

"Sam, I've known a lot of girls that fell in love with you, trouble was, you weren't interested in any of them. I never really understood why you passed up the chances you had with some of them."

"Something was missing with all those girls, I don't know what it was, but I didn't want to lead them on, especially when I knew I didn't, and wouldn't ever feel the same way toward them. But there's something about her, something about the way she writes, I don't know how to describe it."

"Love at first sight without the sight, I don't think anyone else would believe it." Wes sighed, leaning back onto his palate. "Hey, any letters from your sisters lately?"

"Just got one today."

"Is it from Katie?" he asked, sitting up quickly, an expression of nonchalance forced on his face.

"No, Annie, why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason in particular, Katie's letters are usually the funniest, I like to hear what she says is going on." he sighed, laying back again.

"Ok." Sam looked at him with squinted eyes, not believing a word he said. Wes had always been around growing up, but like Joe, had kept his distance from his sisters. He might have spent more time thinking about his friends strange behavior, if he wasn't excited about reading the letter from Annie. The seal broke loose easily, and he focused his attention on her sloppy, almost boyish handwriting.

June 6, 1943

Hi Sam!

Guess what? Well, first of all, the guess what game isn't very much fun on paper. I suppose I could leave you in suspense, making you guess in your next letter to me, and then I could say, nope, guess again, but then it could take months to figure it out! I'm far to excited to wait months to tell you, so you're off the hook. Daddy let me drive the truck! I only stalled six times in a half an hour drive, pretty good huh? By the time you're home, I'll be a real pro.

Not much else has happened here, oh Jack Bernard asked me to go to the dance with him, but I said no. I told him that I didn't wear dresses for anyone, least of all him. I still remember when he peeked up my Easter dress, the one year Mommy actually got me to wear one. I remember you chased him into the woods and told him you'd throw him in the lake if he so much as breathed in my direction again. If you were still home, I don't think he would have asked me at all, I know he's still scared of you. I miss you Sam.

We all miss you. Dinner just isn't the same without Mommy yelling at you for having your elbows on the table. Kate will be about to say something, her eyes sparkling with anticipation, her mouth half open, words on her tongue. But then, she looks over at your empty chair, closes her mouth and shrinks into her chair. I hope that doesn't make you sad. That's not why I wrote it, I just wanted to give you an example of us missing you. Mrs. Keith, my English teacher this year, says that examples strengthen the main point of papers. I hope my example strengthened my main point, us missing you.

Sarah started cooking, Mommy is letting her try her hand at desserts. They're horrible! Yesterday she made pecan tarts and they tasted like dirt! It's a good thing I have a chocolate stash in my bedroom. Just something to look forward to when you get home, which I hope is soon!

Love,

Annie

Chapter 4

July 12, 1943

"Lillian, there is a letter down here for you!" Mrs. Windsor called up the stairs. Lilly rolled her eyes at the sound of her full name and continued to rush around her small bedroom, getting ready for her day. She was supposed to be at the O'Connors in half an hour. Despite her urge to race downstairs and snatch up the letter, she tied the purple ribbon in her hair carefully, then slipped her small feet into her most comfortable shoes.

She bounced down the stairs, her slightly curled pony tail swaying against the plum colored cotton blouse she was wearing. With a sweep, she picked up the letter and slid it into the back pocket of her capris. Although she knew the way to the O'Connors very well, and was sure she could have read the letter during her walk, she decided to wait until later, so she could savor every word. The knowledge that the letter was in her pocket forced a giddy smile to bubble from her insides to her straight white teeth, then out of her full lips.

"Hello Lilli." Colleen O'Connor greeted, pulling open the door before Lilli had been able to knock. "Don't you look happy today."

"How could you not be happy on such a beautiful day?"

Colleen laughed, beckoning Lilli into the small house. "I have to run, Dylan and Quinn are listening to their program and Bridget is taking her nap. If you wouldn't mind waking her in about an hour, that's when the boys program should be over too. There is chicken thawed in the refrigerator, and use whatever else you can find. As always, just leave me a note if you use the last of something. Pat and I were going to go out for dinner if you can stay, if not, I'll come right home."

"Not a problem, the kids are easy enough to put to bed, and you two deserve some time out together." Lilli smiled.

"Ok, I'm off. Oh! I almost forgot, Quinn has the sniffles, so if you could make sure he's not running around like a maniac?"

"Sure thing, have fun!"

Lilli closed the door softly and kicked her sneakers off under the bench in the foyer. Her feet stuck to the tile flooring as she walked quietly to the kitchen, not wanting to disturb the boys. She rummaged through the refrigerator, discovering what she could give the children for a snack, and what could go with dinner. She pulled out a carton of raspberries and strawberries, then piled the chicken and mayonnaise on the top of the pile. Barely making it to the counter, everything toppled out of her hands, echoing with a clatter against the counter.

Once she set everything straight on the counter, she turned on the small radio perched on top of the bread box and tuned it to a staton that sung the lively music of a full band. She cut up the strawberries and raspberries in time with the melody and tossed them into a decorated bowl, dusting them with sugar. They were placed back in the refrigerator, a plate covering the top, then she began the chicken. She pounded it thin, cut it down and slathered it in mayonnaise then dredged it in flavored breadcrumbs. Finally, she set to snapping the ends from fresh green beans from the O'Connor's victory garden.

With her preparations finished, she settled at the small kitchen table, once again tempted to open Joe's letter. She glanced at the clock, noting that the boys program would last for only fifteen minutes more. Instead of finding something to occupy herself with for so short a time, she decided to wake Bridget a few minutes early.

The stairs creaked as she climbed them, as did the door to Bridget's room when she pushed it open. The toddler lay sprawled on the twin bed, covered only by a seet. Her blonde hair plastered to her face by sweat and drool. Lilli smiled kneeling beside her, stroking the hair from her forehead, singing her name to wake her. Bridget's face soured, her nose scrunched and she let out a single whimpering cry. She rolled onto her side, more cries puffing from her small mouth.

"What's the matter pretty girl?" Lilli asked softly.

"I'm hot, and sticky, and wet." she cried.

Lilli helped her from her bed and found a wet stain in the sheets. Bridget was only recently potty trained, and sometimes didn't make it through the night or her nap. "Let's get you cleaned up." Bridget reached up for Lilli's hand and followed her to the bright yellow bathroom. Lilli drew a cool bath for her, and scrubbed the sticky sweat from her quickly. Once clean and fresh, she pulled her from the tub and dressed her in a green summer outfit. Lilli offered Bridget a piggy back ride downstairs, which earned the first smile from Bridget since waking her.

"Do you think something's in the basement?" Quinn's voice echoed down the hallway, filled with concern for a fictional character.

"How should I know? We'll have to wait until tomorrow."

"I wouldn't go down into that basement, not even if I thought there was treasure down there!"

"I would, I'm not scared of anything!" Dylan said confidently. A moment passed, both boys silent, a rare occurrence when the set wasn't on. Then Quinn spoke after a heavy sigh.

"I'm hungry!"

"Then how about a snack?" Lilli interrupted.

"Lilli!" Quinn cried, pulling himself up from the plush carpet. He ran toward her, wrapping his small arms around one of her legs. He looked up at her, scrunched his nose and sniffled loudly.

"Sounds like you need a tissue!"

"No I don't!" He unwrapped one of his arms from her leg and slid it quickly under his dripping nose before Lilli could stop him.

"That, young man, is how you spread germs, now go upstairs and put on a new shirt."

"But I'm hungry!"

"Then you should have gotten a tissue when I told you to. The faster you get changed, the faster you get a snack, now go." Lilli said sternly, pointing toward the stairs.

Quinn turned and ran up the stairs, she could hear every beat of his feet on the floor upstairs and his drawers slamming loudly. He came down in a grey t-shirt, which appeared to be both inside out and backward. Lilli laughed, "Arms up!" Quinn obeyed and she pulled off the shirt, righting it in both ways before redressing him.

"Dylan, are you going to come say hello to me?" she asked, pushing the others into the kitchen.

"Alright..." Dylan sighed, pushing off the couch.

"Well you don't have to!"

"It's ok...but, I'm not going to hug you, I'm too old for that now."

"Oh really, I hadn't realized you'd grown so old in a week! How about a hand shake instead? I hear that's what old men do."

Dylan thrust out his hand and smiled a toothless grin, Lilli immediately understood why he suddenly thought himself "too old." She held back a smile and shook his hand seriously. He too followed her into the kitchen and sat with his siblings to eat their sweetened berries and crackers. After their snack, Lilli had them do the activity she had planned for her Sunday School class, always liking to experiment before trying something new.

While the paint dried, they played spies, sneaking around the house to find clues to keep the soldiers safe. The game went on for hours, Lilli amazed by the stories the children came up with. It was obvious they paid close attention to their programs on the radio. Dinner grew near and Lilli had to excuse herself from the game. She fried up the chicken, cooked rice and steamed the green beans. When she announced dinner, they groaned, not wanting to quit their game, except for Quinn, who was hungry again.