He was wearing a black hat, a white shirt with its sleeves rolled up to his elbows, a loose brown necktie, tan pants. His steps were uneven. When he listed toward the kitchen and saw her, his eyes were a piercing blue, sullied only by the dark shadows underneath.

Her smile trembled into place, faltered under his gaze.

The man’s brow furrowed in puzzlement. His square face was handsome, shadowed with a day’s stubble. Though he looked much older than in his photo on the mantel, she was sure she recognized him.

“Hello,” she squeaked. “JJ?”

Chapter 31

Pine Rapids
Sunday February 28, 1943

The cold was stiff as a starched white sheet; the sun was shining in a bright sky. The fresh inch of snow that had fallen overnight shimmered on everything, and crunched under Elissa’s boots as she walked, trailing behind her parents down Sixth Street toward church.

The church was ten blocks from their house and they usually drove, but her father, Jack, had said this morning that the car was almost out of gas and he couldn’t get any more ration stamps until tomorrow. Knowing that Nick would be waiting at the other end, Elissa didn’t mind the walk. Last night had been perfection. The way he had charmed the whole family at dinner—even Jack was softening toward Nick, she could tell—and then pressed his shoulder sweetly against hers throughout the entire movie, sneaking his hand over to hold hers. His touch made her breathless, and when he moved his fingers in little circles on her palm she was certain she would faint. But she sat very straight and still, part of her wishing she were the type of girl who could lean over and kiss a boy of her own accord, instead of waiting for him to make the first move.

They had waited until the last credits had rolled, then walked out together slowly, Elissa wishing they could go to Emory’s again. She hadn’t wanted the evening to be over, plus she’d thought it would be nice to show Nick off to the whole senior class, likely to be gathered there on a Saturday night. But Jack, of course, had insisted on driving them home immediately following the movie.

“I wish the day wasn’t over,” she’d sighed, as they meandered up the aisle of the now quiet theater.

“Me too,” Nick said. “I don’t like to leave you.”

All day long, they had talked about nothing, everything; it had seemed to Elissa she had known him forever, that they fit together like long-lost puzzle pieces finally reunited. And when he looked over at her after the movie, the look in his eyes was full of the stars and, it seemed suddenly to Elissa, forever.

Or was that just her imagination?