A moment later, as he was sitting at his desk trying to get his notes together for the morning staff meeting, his telephone rang. He snatched it up. “Mickelson.”

“Harry?” The voice was faraway, scratchy-sounding, but he recognized it.

“Mom?”

“Harry! How are you?”

“I’m good, Mom. Everything all right?”

“Oh, yes. It’s nice to hear your voice, Harry.”

“You too, Mom.”

“We haven’t seen you in so long.”

“I’ve been pretty busy up here.”

“I’m sure you have been. Harry, I know we can’t stay on the line long, but I wanted to let you know. We just found out! JJ’s coming home!”

“Cripes, Mom, that’s great! He’s doing all right?”

“Yes, well, you know he’s been in the hospital quite some time now, over on one of those islands, then in Hawaii, and then in California. He’s—Well, from what they tell me, he’s doing as well as can be expected. They say he walked a few steps the other day! It hurt an awful lot, but he’s pushing on. You know, after all he’s been through.”

Harry bit his lip, then said, “Well, when’s the big day?”

“It depends on when he can get a flight. He thinks he can get one from California up to Chicago, and then he’ll likely have to take the train from there. Can you come down, Harry? I know it would mean so much to him to have us all here.”

“I’ll do my best, Mom. Will you give me as much notice as you can? So I can make arrangements?”

“Of course, Harry. Well, we’d better get off the line. You take care, Harry. I’ll call you again as soon as we know.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

“Bye-bye, Harry.” And the line went dead.

Harry replaced the handset in its cradle. He leaned his elbows on his desk and covered his eyes with his fingertips. As he always did when he heard his mother’s voice, he remembered the summer he was sixteen, the reason why he hated to go home, and the reason why she drew him there like a moth to a flame.

Chapter 35

Stone Harbor, Wisconsin
Summer 1919

John Mickelson had insisted that the family return to their cottage at Stone Harbor for the summer. They had stayed home in Pine Rapids the last two summers, but now the war was over, Jack was home, and John said it was time that everything return to normal, at least as much as possible.

Wilma said she never wanted to go back to Stone Harbor again.