“Soon. In the next few days. I’m not vital in my job. They can manage without me. I’ll let you know as soon as I know when I’m leaving,” she said calmly, and then reached out and held their hands.

“I think it’s a crazy idea, Lizzie,” her father said quietly. He knew that arguing with her wasn’t going to work. Not this time.

“Yeah, like my wanting to go to medical school was crazy, huh?”

“Are you punishing me for not letting you go?” he asked, looking worried. She was a headstrong girl, and he knew he had underestimated her before, even though she had given in and gone to nursing school. And now look at what she was doing.

“I’m not punishing you.” Life had done that to her more than any human could have, when she lost Will. Now she had to find a way to live without him, without their dreams. She had no dreams now, just a job to do. She was well equipped for the job as a nurse, so why not do it?

“You’re not scared of where they’ll send you?” her mother asked her finally.

She shook her head in answer. “Not at all.” They could see that she wasn’t, and they admired her for it. She was a gutsy young woman. Her father had spoken to both his sons since war was declared, and both were afraid of where they might be sent and what would happen. His daughter wasn’t, and she was willing to offer herself up. He wondered if maybe she was right, and he was sure they wouldn’t send nurses too close to the battlefields, so he wasn’t too worried about her. His sons would be in greater danger, but he thought it was brave of her anyway.

“Let me know what they tell you, Lizzie,” he said, as her mother dabbed at her eyes. Lizzie stood up and hugged them both. And as Ben Hatton hugged her, he couldn’t help being proud that his daughter would be the first in their family to enlist, even before his sons. She was quite a girl. He said as much to Lizzie’s mother that night. She thought it was a terrible decision, and was angry at her husband for not stopping their daughter.