May 6, 1942
Dear Jack,

I walked downtown with Eddie on Monday and saw a picture show called Casablanca.  What a great love story! Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman were simply wonderful.

My father has been coming home very late these days, always cross and exhausted. Yesterday, he stayed at work until midnight. I’m so worried about him, Jack. I wish I knew what he was doing there that makes him so anxious.

I miss you terribly, and can’t believe it’s only been a month since we said goodbye. I know if you were here father would try to be home earlier to talk to you about the war.  Oh, how you made him laugh.  We all miss you so.

Love always and forever,
Your Katie


Katie placed her pen down carefully upon the desk.  Memories of happier times drifted through her mind as a single tear rolled down her cheek.  She brushed her hair out of her face and sealed the letter with a “Victory Red” kiss. Footsteps sounded on the stairs as she placed the letter inside its crisp white envelope.

“Hello mother!” Katie said without looking up. There was silence where her mother should have responded. It was a waiting silence, the kind that is only broken with regret. Katie turned to face her mother, letter in hand, but stopped short when she saw the expression painted across her pale face. “Why mother! What’s wrong?” she exclaimed. Katie couldn’t imagine what caused her mother such pain. “Are you ill? Should we call Dr. Sherman and-” The girl’s mother rested her hand on Katie’s shoulder as if to stop her from going on.

“Katie dear,” she choked out, “there’s someone downstairs to see you.” Katie asked no more questions as she slowly walked down the stairs. With each tap of her patent leather pumps, Katie’s heartbeat quickened. In the living room sat Paul, Jack’s younger brother, his face set in stone.

Something in her knew, but she continued walking with measured steps towards him. “Hello Paul! What brings you here? Don’t you have a baseball game this afternoon?” Katie asked. He just slowly shook his head and looked at the carpet.

“Katie, Mr. Downey was just over with a telegram from the Air Force,” He explained, and Katie understood. He didn’t need to go on. Paul’s face said it all. Jack was dead.


She stood frozen in shock, but no one could hear the thoughts raging on in her head. “What a beautiful day it is to be in love.” How many times did Jack say that to me? I should have counted. I should have savored it every time. Watched the sweet summer breeze blow through his hair. Tasted the words on his lips. Listened to him whisper them in my ear. Smelled the crisp night air on our walk home. Felt his arms around me.

“I’m so sorry Katie,” Paul said, but she heard only the crinkle of the envelope in her hand. Katie never let go of her letter. Not when Paul sat her down on the couch and told her what had happened. Not when he finally left, long after dinner time. Not when her mother wrapped a blanket around her shoulders and went to bed. Not when her father came home to find her still sitting on the couch, holding the first of many letters Jack would never read.

May 9, 1942
Dear Jack,

Time flies by too fast and doesn't let you catch up to it. I can’t live without you Jack. I just can’t do it. You were here on my porch only a month ago but now you seem so far away. Come back to me Jack. How am I to do it? Everything goes on as if nothing happened but my world is falling apart. I don’t know what to do anymore. I try to remember everything that you did, every move you made, but I can’t. You are slipping away. I can’t let you go. I feel as if I have come with you but my body was forgotten here on the ground. Don’t leave me, Jack. Please don’t leave me here alone.

Love always and forever,
Your Katie


Days had passed and Katie had not said a word. She cried silently all day long and barely ate anything. The doctor said this was normal and would pass in a week or so, but it didn’t. Katie got worse. She had lost interest in life and nothing could change that. Jack was gone. He was never coming back. Her mother and father didn’t know what to do with her. She had always been a giggling, happy girl, but that Katie was nowhere to be found. In her place was a pale sickly looking thing that blocked out the world with her tears.

May 16, 1942
Dear Jack,

Where have you gone? You have left me alone in a world full of hate. Everything is spinning around me and I can’t grab a hold of the life I used to have. Nothing makes sense anymore, I just don’t understand how people go on living. The sun shines and the birds sing without you. The rain pours down on the window panes without you. The children play without you. The world keeps turning without you. But I can’t do anything. Everyone says it will be okay, but they are wrong. How can I go on living without you, Jack?

Love always and forever,
Your Katie

That night Katie woke up from a dream about Jack. They were sitting on the porch swing, looking at the glow of the street at twilight, and he said to her, “Katie, look how beautiful it is. Another day is over. It happens every day, but you don’t notice how pretty it is because its ordinary. Look around for those things in plain sight and you’ll always be happy.”

She got out of bed and walked over to the window. The sky was violet with anticipation of dawn. Katie put on a pale yellow sundress and tiptoed downstairs to the porch. She sat on the swing and watched the sun rise. Her bare feet grazed the cool floor. What had she been missing? There was beauty in the world she had forgotten about. She had missed out on the ordinary things that no one noticed, except for Jack. He loved the little things about life that made it worth living. Like the sunrise and the smell of popcorn. Katie had forgotten what the world looked like through Jack’s eyes and she knew she had to go on, for the little things.

Katie got up from the swing and went inside to get breakfast. She had to start her life from scratch now without Jack. Katie had no idea how, but she knew she had to. Life was going to be different and she knew she was not the same person that walked down those stairs just days ago. Something inside her had changed.

Katie was hungry for the first time in days and made a plate full of pancakes for herself. After just a bite she felt queasy and sick all the sudden. The pancakes had been cooked well. She had felt fine when she woke up. Why is everything so hard? she pondered. Her parents came down to find Katie at the table slowly nibbling at her breakfast.

“Good morning dear,” her mother exclaimed in surprise, “How are you feeling today?”

Katie replied, “Well I was feeling better, but I think I might be sick.”

“Why don’t you give Dr. Sherman a call, dear? I sure he would like to see you,” suggested her mother. Katie made an appointment for twelve o’clock the next day and helped her mother around the house as usual. College classes were over and she had joined the Red Cross only to find there was little work to be done with so many willing to help.

After walking down Kovelli Street to the doctor’s office, Katie was met with unexpected news. She came home in a daze. How am I going to tell them? What are they going to say? Soon I won’t be able to hide it. Why are things so difficult? I’ll wait until father gets home and tell them both. Yes, that’s the right thing to do, she decided.

Katie, was feeling like her old self again. Jack was still on her mind, but she figured it was best not to linger on him, considering the news she had to deliver. Her mother helped her, but Katie insisted on making supper. Everything was ready for the perfect meal. Her father’s favorite wine, her grandmother’s tablecloth, their good set of silverware. Everything will be fine, Katie thought.

“Dr. Sherman said to say hello to everyone.” Katie said over the clinking of silverware on their plates.

“Oh, how kind of him.” her mother replied, “How did it go?”

“It went well, but I-I have some news.” Katie stated, keeping her composure as long as she could. She looked at her parents, knowing they could never expect what she was about to tell them. Her father looked up from his plate and blankly stared back at her. Suddenly losing all confidence, she whispered “I’m pregnant.” She couldn’t bare to look at them, to see the disappointment in their faces.

“That’s nice sweetie,” her father said, obviously not hearing her last words. He went on eating as if nothing had happened, but her mother broke down. She cried, seeming both happy and sad. “What now?” her father asked, annoyance creeping into his voice. “Can’t we have a meal without someone crying?” His day at work had been taxing and all his patience was spent.

“Robert!” her mother exclaimed, appalled by such a remark.
“Father,... please,” said Katie, now whimpering herself, “I said... I said-I...”
Taking Katie’s hand, her mother finished for her, “She’s pregnant Robert.” For a moment nothing happened and Katie couldn’t believe how well her parents were taking the news, but then everything collapsed.

“What? WHAT!” her father spat. “Oh my GOD! No, this can’t be happening! No! Everything I’ve done - down the drain!” a shaking finger raised up and pointed at Katie. “What have you done to me? What will they say? What am I to do? You’ve really gone and done it now! I’ll have to quit. No one can know. We’ll have to hide it. Give it away - no one can know.” said her father, now mumbling to himself.

She shot back, “What are you talking about, Father? I am NOT giving my baby away.”

“Oh yes you are! I make the decisions around here and what I say is the rule! You outwardly disobeyed me! You can’t be trusted anymore. You’ll have to stay inside, no one can know. We will have to tell them you are sick - strictly no visitors - and I’ll have to talk to Sherman. We can’t have anyone spreading things arou-”

Her mother spoke out, “Your father is right, Katie. I just can’t believe you... it’s a sin. You haven’t just disobeyed us, you’ve turned away from God.”

“We... what? No!” she took a deep breath, “We were married, by the Justice of the Peace before Jack shipped out.”

“Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse! You got married? YOU GOT MARRIED!” with that her father slammed his fist down on the table and began shouting. “I specifically told you that you must not marry that boy until you are older and can make decisions for yourself! And you deliberately ignored me! You were wed behind our back all this time?! We trusted you to be responsible. This has crossed the line! And now, now you are pregnant! What are we supposed to tell people? Just take a moment to look at what you’ve done to this family!” her father screamed, sweat beading on his forehead.

Katie spoke in a calm tone, “No Father, look at what you have done to this family. Think about what you are asking me - no telling me - to do to my family. This baby is the only thing I have left of Jack, my husband. I am determined to raise my child with or without your blessing.”

“Oh Katie dear, don’t say that, don’t say that,” her mother sobbed.

“I am no longer a child. I am twenty years old, and I can, and will, make decisions for myself. This is Jack’s baby, my baby and I already love it as much as I do him. I am not going to send it away to some orphanage to suffer. I am a mother now and I intend to act like one,” stated Katie.

“NO! How many times do I have to say this?! You are not going to have this child as your own! What makes you think that you are qualified to be a parent if you have already made the biggest mistake?” countered her father.

“I am going to have my baby and raise it, no matter what you say.”

Her mother just sat there and cried, taking everything in. Her family was shattering around her and each shard was slicing her heart. There was no way out of this situation that could repair the damage done. Katie had to leave. The solution was simple.

Just before dawn the next day, she got up and dressed in traveling clothes. Looking through her dark sunglasses Katie saw the cab coming toward her. She quickly stepped inside and the driver sped away from her small suburban town, towards Washington D.C. At six o’clock that morning, Katie boarded a train to Grand Central Station. She would take the train to New York, and then a bus to Maine, where her old friend Elizabeth would be waiting for her. Katie had gone to summer camp in Maine for many years, until her father was offered his job in the Department of Defense. He had told eleven year old Katie she could no longer go to camp because it was now beneath her. However, Elizabeth and Katie had still kept in touch.

Early the next day Katie arrived at Wisteria Lake. The morning sun was glittering off the water. Everything around her was beautiful. The smooth wooden row boats piled up near the dock. The sound of horses in the distance. The smell of clean air and flowers. Each cabin was really a small house with a kitchen, three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a large living room. They were perfect to raise a child in. Elizabeth lead her to a new cabin on the lake, removed from the rest. This was her home. She knew where she belonged. So...she put on her glasses---looked out over the lake and her life was never the same again.


The End