“Yeah. My mom and dad told us, and they looked really scared. Here, you can hear for yourself.” I turned on the radio. At first there was just a blast of static. I ran my finger over the plastic knob until I heard talking. A couple of men somberly discussed President Kennedy’s address. We listened for about five minutes. As they spoke, Grace looked more and more afraid. I turned it off. We were both quiet for some time.

Finally she said what we were both thinking. “I don’t want to die.”

“Me neither.”

“It’s so unfair. We didn’t do anything. We’re just kids and we might die because of something we have nothing to do with.”

We were both quiet and the only noise came from the heater.

“I don’t think we’re going to die,” I said. I didn’t sound very convincing. I wondered if it had been such a good idea to tell her. Maybe it would be better if none of us knew. There would just be a big flash and before you could say, “What was that?,” you’d be gone. Maybe that wouldn’t be so bad.

“If we do die tonight,” she said, “I don’t want to be alone.” She looked so frightened and vulnerable. “Will you hold me?”

I put my arms around her and she laid her head on my shoulder. After five minutes or so I turned off the light. The glow of the heater bathed the room in amber radiance. We lay back on her mattress and I held her until she fell asleep.

In the middle of the night I woke to her talking in her sleep. She was crying, “Please don’t, I don’t like that. That hurts.” Tears were streaming down her face.

I gently shook her. “Grace, it’s okay. You’re dreaming.”

She stopped and opened her eyes and for the longest while just looked at me. Then she snuggled her head into my chest and went back to sleep.

I don’t know how long it was that I just looked at her. She was so beautiful. I gently stroked the hair back from her forehead. Then I kissed her and pulled her into me as I fell back asleep.

I woke before Grace did. The dawn light was stealing through the cracks around the clubhouse door. It was another half hour before Grace’s eyes fluttered and opened. She looked at me, then brushed her hair from her face. “We’re still here,” she said.

“Yep.” Then I realized we were still here. “What if my mother’s looking for me? She’ll kill me.”

Grace lay her head back on my chest. “Just tell her the truth.”

“Are you crazy?”

“Not about me. Just tell her you slept in the clubhouse because you thought it might be safer.”

“But that’s stupid.”