When Mary finished recounting the conversation with her mother, she threw herself again into the safety of Nora’s arms. “I won’t leave you. I won’t leave this. But my father… What am I going to do?”

Nora sighed heavily. Quietly, she said, “You have to go.”

Mary stiffened. “But—”

“There’s no choice here, Mary. He’s your father, and your parents need you. You have to go.”

“No.” She choked on a sob. “If I go, my mother will never let me come back. She’ll insist that I marry Sam and my life will be over. Our time together will be over. I can’t stand the thought of never seeing you again, of us not being together.”

Nora pulled back and caressed her face. “Then you’d better make sure you come back to me.”

“But, how?”

“I don’t know yet. You’re over eighteen and not a minor, so they can’t physically keep you there.”

“Nothing can keep me there. My heart is here.” She placed a hand in the center of Nora’s chest. “How am I going to live without you?”

“We have to get you a train today.”

“Today?”

“Yes. It’s the fastest way to get you there, and still, you’ll just make it in time for your father’s homecoming. We’ll make it an open-ended round trip. That way, you can tell your mother that work requires you to return.”

“I like the way you think.” She rested her cheek on Nora’s chest. “I’m going to miss this heartbeat.” She felt her sigh.

“I’m going to miss you.”

“I… I’m sorry about before. I wasn’t thinking clearly. The bus depot was the absolute worst place… Do you hate me?”

“I could never hate you, Mary Elizabeth Trask.”

“Still, I know how much you worry—”

“You leave the worrying to me. Now is not the time to focus on that. Can you get to the train station and get your ticket? I really have to get to work. I’m already late and I don’t want to have to explain why.”

“I can.”

“Do you need money? I can pay for it.”

“No. I’ve saved enough.”

“Okay. Go home and pack your things first. I’d lend you my coat to get back to your place, but…”

Mary laughed for the first time in what seemed like forever. “It would be a little big.”

They rose together. Nora swept an errant strand of hair off Mary’s face. “I’ll miss you.”

“Not as much as I’ll miss you.”

“You call me when you can.”

“I will. I wish I could spend one more night with you.”

“You know that can’t happen.”

“A girl can hope.”

“Don’t worry about work. I’ll take care of it for you.”

“I wish you could see me off.”

“I do too, but that’s impossible.”

“I know.”