He drove them home after lunch, and Audrey could see that he was eager to meet up with his friends again. They all had plans for that night, and she knew that Will would be seeing the girl he had been dating most recently. She was a beautiful local girl, but he wasn’t serious about her. Will loved to have fun, and he had big plans that centered more around airplanes than women for the moment. He’d always had an easy time meeting women, but he was careful not to get too deeply involved. His father had warned him about that. Will wanted a career in the navy, and he had years ahead of him before he’d want to settle down. Several of his classmates were already engaged, and there were a number of weddings planned in the next few months. Will thought that at their age, it would be more of a burden than an asset. He had no interest in marriage for the next many years. He couldn’t wait to start flight school and was excited to become a lieutenant eventually. This was only the first step in what he hoped would be a long, distinguished career like his father’s and grandfather’s. There had been talk of tensions rising in Europe, and a possible war coming, but even if there was one, they were certain the United States would never get into it. They had learned that lesson once, with the last war. Never again.

It was four in the afternoon when Will left them. He told his mother he’d be home late, and not to worry about him. There were half a dozen parties he knew about and wanted to go to. He had waited a lifetime for this day and was determined to enjoy it to the fullest. Audrey was sure he’d come home drunk, but he’d try not to wake them. It had been a beautiful day, and she smiled when Will kissed her on the cheek and left a few minutes later. For an instant, she envied him the freedom he would have now. It was so different being a man. He could do whatever he wanted, and always would. She had so much less independence as a woman, and it would have been that way even if her mother wasn’t sick. As a young single girl, Audrey’s life was much more restricted than Will’s. And even one day if she married, she would never have the freedom her brother did. He could go and do and be whatever he chose. The same opportunities weren’t available to women.